Little Monster
by WildestDreams72394
Summary: Hey little monster, I got my eye on you. Hey, little monster, you know it's all okay. I'm gonna love you, no matter what you say. I say run, little monster, before you know who I am. James's sister Freya finds herself in bed with a deadly snake. What will become of her when she discovers the monster underneath the snakeskin? Is there another little monster lurking inside this lion?
1. Chapter 1

**September 1978**

Freya stared unabashedly at the Slytherin table, her eyes focused on one Slytherin in particular. She tilted her head slightly and barely touched her food as she watched the young man laugh with his friends, his dark hair just long enough that it was hanging in his eyes. She heard the blonde girl beside her speaking to her about something, but she didn't process her words. Suddenly, the Slytherin seventh year's eyes found Freya's, and his grey eyes twinkled mischievously before he winked at her. Freya grinned, allowing her hazel eyes to linger on him for a moment longer. A pair of fingers appeared in her line of vision, snapping at her. Freya rolled her eyes and turned her attention to her best friend, Diana Massey, raising an eyebrow at her. Diana repeated her question. "Why are you staring at Regulus Black?"

Freya chuckled softly. "I don't know. I just felt like staring at him. What's wrong with that?" she asked her fellow Gryffindor.

Diana shrugged, her tight golden curls bouncing slightly where the ends brushed against her shoulders as she did. "Just the looks you two were giving each other. It almost looked like you were flirting. You know your brother wouldn't like it, and Sirius wouldn't either."

Freya shook her head and gazed down at the shepherd's pie on her plate, digging her fork into it again for another bite. "It's just a look. James and Sirius can shove it. Besides, just because Sirius snogged me a couple times last year doesn't mean that he has any claim over me." Diana gave her a disapproving look as she ate a bite of her dinner. Swallowing, Freya said indignantly, "What? Sirius is the one who said he didn't want to get involved in a relationship, and that's just fine by me. It's not like he's a bloody fairytale prince or anything; he can be a right git when he wants to be, so I doubt it would've worked out anyway."

Diana sighed. "I can't blame you any there," Diana replied. "But do you really have to go proving it by flirting with his brother?"

Freya slapped her hand lightly against the wooden table. "Oh, for goodness sake, Diana. It's not flirting to simply look at a guy."

"What would you call it then?"

A roguish grin spread on Freya's face as she turned her eyes back to Regulus, who she found was watching her, an amused smile playing on his lips. "Admiring the view." Diana rolled her eyes at Freya's comment, but let the subject drop.

* * *

The Welcome Feast ended, prompting the students to exit the Great Hall and head to their respective houses. Freya walked out of the Great Hall with Diana and Charlotte Dolan, another Gryffindor, laughing as Charlotte divulged her summer exploits in the Muggle world with a local Muggle lifeguard. As the Gryffindor girls reached the foot of the flight of stairs in the Entrance Hall, a hand shot out and latched on to Freya's elbow, pulling her around the railing to a more secluded spot in the shadows under the stairs. Freya was pushed roughly up against the wall and pinned there by a strong, muscular body. Freya smirked mischievously when she recognized Regulus Black, who held a finger to his lips as he grinned at her, motioning for her to be silent. Freya could hear Diana and Charlotte noticing her disappearance, then begin asking other Gryffindors if they had seen where she'd gone as they continued to make their way up to the tower. Slytherins and Hufflepuffs filed past the two, heading for different parts of the dungeon, but no one noticed the pair, as Regulus had hidden them well in the shadows. After Diana and Charlotte's voices had faded, Freya asked, "What exactly are you doing, Black?"

Regulus laughed softly; Freya could feel the rumble in his chest as he chuckled, leaning against her body. "What, I can't say hello to a pretty pureblood girl?"

Freya shook her head, a playful smile lighting up her face as she observed the lust tingeing the look in Regulus's eyes. "No, you can't," Freya declared, her eyes tantalizing the man standing over her.

Regulus smirked. "My, my, Potter, aren't we a tease?"

Freya placed a hand on his chest and barely pushed against Regulus, who took the hint and took a step back, giving her just enough room to move past him the moment she chose to leave. "Only to bad boys," Freya said as she slipped past him, her body brushing up against his as she did so. Freya quickly stole away from him and up the stairs, blending back into the crowd of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws that were running up the stairs to their respective towers. Freya ran up to the Pink Lady just as a fourth year boy was giving the painting the password, then crept into the common room behind him. Diana and Charlotte were waiting for her when she reached her dorm room, ready to pounce. She waved her wand before they could say anything, place a silencing charm on the two girls. "I didn't go anywhere; I just fell behind. That's all there is to it. Can we just leave it at that?" The blonde witch and the brunette beside her nodded, and Freya removed the silencing charm. Freya went to her trunk at the foot of her four poster bed and dug out pajamas before changing clothes and collapsing into the bed, her mind flooded with a million thoughts and memories, drifting through the few moments she and Regulus had interacted in the past.

* * *

 _First year Freya Potter sat between her brother James and his best friend, Sirius Black, as the Hogwarts Express rocketed across the countryside towards Hogwarts. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew sat across from the other three, playing a game of Exploding Snap with James. Freya watched the game over the top of her book, and Sirius read the Daily Prophet. A card near her feet suddenly combusted, making Freya jump, bumping shoulders with Sirius. Freya looked at the boy beside her apologetically, and Sirius winked at her before going back to reading the latest on the international Quidditch scene. Freya heard a woman's voice calling down the hall and the clatter of trolley wheels, advertising sweets. James nudged Freya with his elbow. "Hey, want anything from the sweet trolley?"_

 _Freya nodded and stood up. "I'll go get it. You want anything?" James shrugged, smiling at his baby sister. Freya smiled back. "Of course you do. Ok, I'll get you something too."_

 _James called after her as she opened the door to the hallway, "Love you, sis."_

 _Freya shook her head, laughing softly before saying back, "Yeah, yeah, love you too." Freya walked down the hall of the train car to where the middle-aged woman with wisps of grey in her dark hair stood behind a trolley piled high with sweets and a banner painted to read 'Honeydukes Express' hanging on the side, talking softly with the students who were her customers. Approaching the woman, Freya said, "I'll have two chocolate cauldrons please."_

 _A boy's voice floated from behind Freya. "I'll have a chocolate cauldron as well." Freya turned around to see a boy, also a first year as his tie was still black, who looked eerily similar to Sirius, although perhaps not quite as good-looking, but still handsome nonetheless. He held out his hand to her. "Regulus Black," he said softly, staring into her eyes with an incredible amount of intensity._

 _It took Freya a moment to find her voice. "Freya Potter," she said, taking his hand. Regulus pulled her hand gently to his lips and kissed it. She laughed softly at the gesture. "Are you always so politely old-fashioned?" she asked as she turned and accepted the two chocolate cauldrons from the woman and paid her for them._

 _Regulus handed the plump witch ten knuts as she exchanged the money for the Chocolate Cauldron. "Only with pretty girls," he said charmingly, making Freya blush slightly. "You must be James Potter's sister?"_

 _Freya nodded. "And you must be Sirius's brother."_

 _Regulus chuckled darkly. "Well, biologically yes, but he's hardly been considered part of the family since he became a Gryffindor. Of course, he still could redeem himself in proper pureblood society in time, but I doubt he will even try to."_

 _Freya smiled, deciding she didn't like this boy at all. "Is it this proper pureblood society of yours that says you have to talk like an old man all the time?"_

 _Regulus's smile froze, and Freya smirked, knowing she'd gotten under his skin. Regulus looked down for a moment, then looked back up and met Freya's gaze. "I don't have to talk like an old man."_

 _Freya replied, "Then why are you? For that matter, why are you saying any of that at all? All that pureblood stuff is such rubbish."_

 _Regulus's smile turned into a sneer. "Blood purity is hardly rubbish," Regulus snarled. "And it's blood traitors like my brother who are ruining wizard society."_

" _Ruining society or improving it?" Freya asked. Regulus opened his mouth, but when he couldn't think of a good response, snapped it shut again, turning on his heel and storming off to the compartment he came from. Freya shook her head, then returned to her brother and his friends._

* * *

 _Late for her study session in the library with Diana and Remus, Freya bounded down the stairs from Gryffindor tower as she rushed to meet her friends to prepare for her O.W.L.s in a couple of weeks. Turning a blind corner, Freya slammed into someone and fell down, her parchment, quills, and books falling out of her bag all over the floor. Looking up from where she sat on the floor, Freya's eyes met those of Regulus Black. Freya sighed in frustration as she began collecting her things and stuffing them back into her bag. To her surprise, Regulus bent down and started handing her loose quills and pieces of parchment. Freya stopped, raising a suspicious eyebrow at the Slytherin. "What are you doing?" she asked._

 _Regulus didn't look at her, picking up her Charms textbook and handing it to her. "I'm helping you gather your things," he answered matter-of-factly._

 _Freya watched him another moment, then accepted the book and stuffed it into her bag. "But why are you helping me? You never help me with anything."_

 _Regulus, handing her the last of the contents of her bag, said with a seductive charm to his voice, "What, can't I help out a pretty little pureblood girl like you?"_

 _Freya felt tingles run down her spine when the Slytherin's grey eyes finally met hers. Shaking it off, Freya answered, "No, you can't. That's never really been your style when it comes to blood traitors."_

 _Regulus smirked at her, then reached out and ghosted his fingertips over her cheek, the skin where he touched her heating up under his fingers. Regulus leaned forward and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her skin, "Well, perhaps I should change things up a bit. What do you think?"_

 _Freya shivered as his breath on her neck sent strange sensations through her body. Regulus seemed to be almost challenging her with his question, and Freya found herself getting nervous and backing down. She pulled away from him and grabbed her bag, standing up. "I have to study," she said abruptly before taking off running towards the library again._

* * *

 _Having the girl pinned against the wall, Sirius held Freya's wrists firmly on either side of her to prevent her from grabbing his hair again as he licked and nipped lightly down her neck to her collarbone in a hallway of the dungeons near the kitchen. Freya's breathing was quick and shallow as Sirius teased her. Arching her neck to give Sirius better access, she suddenly spotted someone watching them from further down the hallway. Sirius nipped harder at the crook of her neck suddenly, making Freya half moan, half say, "Regulus."_

 _Sirius pulled back suddenly and stared at Freya hard, resentment clear in his eyes. "Say that again?" Sirius demanded._

 _Freya shook her head, trying to pull her hands free from Sirius's grasp. "No, no," Freya insisted. "Not you, Sirius. Down the hall; Regulus…"_

 _Sirius finally followed Freya's gaze to where his little brother stood frozen. The sixth year Slytherin suddenly shook his head at the two Gryffindors, then disappeared around a corner. Sirius frowned, letting go of Freya's wrists and letting her stand properly again. "What was that about?" Sirius asked._

 _Freya shook her head. "I don't know any better than you do, Sirius. He's your brother."_

 _Sirius grinned suddenly, pushing Freya back up against the wall. "That reminds me," Sirius purred as he ran his hands from Freya's hips up to her breasts on the outside of her clothes. "James is never going to find out about this, right?"_

 _Freya laughed softly. "That'd be the last thing I need — an overprotective brother running around the castle like a chicken with its head cut off scaring guys from ever getting anywhere near me again." Sirius barked out a laugh, then swooped down and kissed her lips._

* * *

 _A week before Freya was to head home for the summer after her sixth year, Freya found herself sitting out on the grass by the Black Lake, staring out at the water as the Giant Squid's tentacles broke the water. She sensed someone sit down beside her, and looking over at her new companion, Freya was surprised to find that it was Regulus Black. He didn't look at her; instead he stared hard into the distance, seeming as though he were thinking about something exceptionally important. Freya watched him, remaining silent. After some time, Regulus finally broke the silence. "So, you and Sirius?"_

 _Freya furrowed her brow in confusion at his question, but answered him truthfully. "Nothing special. He doesn't want to date anyone, just have a fling here and there. He just caught me in the same mood a couple times." Regulus nodded. Freya asked, "Regulus, is there some particular reason you want to know, or do you just like being nosey?"_

 _Regulus grinned and looked over at her, but the smile on his face didn't hide the sadness lingering in his eyes from Freya. "Can't a guy just want to be sure a pretty girl doesn't have a boyfriend before he flirts with her?"_

 _Freya decided that if Regulus was going to pretend everything was fine with him, then so was she. It wasn't as though she cared if something was wrong with him, she told herself. So she smirked back and replied, "No, you can't. You never do."_

 _Regulus let out a short laugh that sounded similar to his older brother's. "Yeah, well, if I ever want to get past flirting, I suppose I should start, shouldn't I?"_

 _Taken aback by his words, Freya took an extra moment to respond. "Umm, yeah, I guess so."_

 _Regulus suddenly leaned in closer to Freya, brushing a piece of nearly brown auburn hair out of her face, saying softly, "So do you have a boyfriend, then?"_

 _Freya felt her heart begin racing at Regulus's close proximity. "I've got a date with Lawrence Hudson in Hogsmeade right after term ends," she whispered._

 _Regulus chuckled slightly, smirking. "The Ravenclaw fifth year?" Freya nodded. Regulus said enticingly, "You could do a lot better than that." He suddenly tangled his hand in her hair at the base of her head, and roughly pulled her head back, granting him easier access to her lips. "Let me show you what a Slytherin man can do for you."_

 _Freya's breathing quickened and her heart raced from the moment he had tugged her hair; the lust in his stormy eyes making her insides quiver. Leaning over her, Regulus brushed his lips against hers, then kissed her more forcefully. His hands trailed all over her body, lighting her skin on fire with every touch. Slipping his hand under her shirt, his fingers ghosted up over her stomach towards her chest. Out of the blue, Freya heard James's voice calling out her name, searching for her. Freya pushed Regulus off her as fast as she could, whispering, "Shit. I have to go."_

 _Regulus grabbed her hand as she stood up. "I want to see you again, soon," Regulus practically demanded._

 _Freya sighed, "Send me a bloody owl then."_

 _Both of their eyes turned towards the crest of the hill behind them, where they could just see James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walking up to the top. Freya took advantage of Regulus's distraction from her, pulling her hand from his and changing forms. Suddenly she found herself much lower to the ground, staring up at Regulus. Darting off into a nearby bush, the girl, now a reddish-brown fox, watched as her brother and his friends approached Regulus. Sirius said, "Hello, prat. Seen Freya around anywhere?"_

 _Regulus glanced around himself, confused, only now realizing that Freya was no longer there with him. Catching on to her game, at least partially, Regulus sneered at the four Gryffindors surrounding him, then said haughtily, "No, I have seen the Potter girl around anywhere."_

" _Really, now?" James said, his temper beginning to flare. "Because that's her sweater you're sitting on."_

 _The little fox hidden in the bush that was Freya Potter mentally cursed. Suddenly, the little fox sneezed. None of the others heard it, but Remus's eyes immediately snapped over to the bush, staring at the exact spot where she was hidden. Freya cowered further into the bush, curling up into a small ball, her bushy tail tucked up under her. She heard Regulus say, "Oh, is it? I had no idea. I simply found it here. I was going to take it to Professor McGonagall later, since it clearly belongs to one of her bloody Gryffindors, but here." Regulus tossed the gray sweater at James, and the chaser caught it easily. "Now you can give it to her yourself like the good big brother you are to the little baby Potter."_

 _Remus nudged James, then nodded in the direction of the bush. James's eyes lit up as he realized what Remus was implying. "Fine then, Black," James said. "We'll check further along the lake. Maybe she left it here when she went for a walk."_

 _Regulus stood up lazily, then said, "Whatever. Enjoy your lion hunt." With that, the Slytherin sauntered back up to the castle._

 _Sirius demanded, "What the bloody hell was that, James?"_

 _James rolled his eyes. "Moony found her, you git."_

" _Oh," Sirius said, chuckling, a little embarrassed._

 _Remus walked easily over to the bush where Freya was hiding. Freya managed to dodge his hand the first time he reached into the bush for her, but the second time his fingers brushed her fur. "Yep, she's in here all right," Remus called to the others, then yelped and pulled his hand out of the bush as fast as he could. He had almost caught hold of her on the third attempt, his hand nearly wrapped around her stomach, until Freya had used her sharp fox teeth to bite his hand just hard enough to cause him to yank it away._

 _Unwilling to stay cornered in the bush, Freya dashed out of the plant and took off running the opposite direction along the lake. Peter cried, "Oh, there she goes!"_

 _Sirius and James switched to their animagus forms as well, then took off running after her, Remus running along behind them. Sirius was the fastest and easily caught up with Freya. Jumping in front of the little fox, Sirius growled, daring her to try to get past him. Freya skidded to a stop just short of his sharp teeth, then turned to try the other direction. She managed to weave her way through James's tall stag legs, and Remus tripped over her. Running up to Peter in his rat form, Freya bared her teeth and growled at the much smaller rodent. Peter squeaked in fear, then suddenly Freya felt something around her stomach and her feet left the ground. She yelped in surprise and turned her teeth on whoever had dared to pick up her up, and found herself about to bite James on the nose. Suddenly, the fox shied away from the fight, letting herself be cuddled to her brother's chest. Sirius ran up beside them, all of the male Animagi back in their human forms. "What the hell, Freya?" Sirius asked angrily. "Why did you make us chase you around like that?"_

 _Remus came up beside Sirius and said, "I just can't believe she threatened Wormtail like that. She's never been anything but sweet to Peter."_

 _Peter asked, "Are you sure this is Freya and not an actual fox?"_

 _James nodded. "Oh, I'm very sure this is my sister." James held the fox out from his body and made Freya look him in the eyes. "Why are you acting like this, Freya? This isn't like you at all. If Regulus Black was being a bloody git to you, you should've just told us. You didn't have to hide."_

 _Sirius studied the fox intently, then suddenly a light bulb came on in his head. "Prongs, I get the feeling he wasn't just being a bloody git to her. I have a feeling it went a little further than that."_

 _Freya growled at the older of the Black brothers as he reached out towards her, then when he wasn't discouraged, she snapped her teeth at him. James frowned. "Sirius, you don't mean you think he hurt her? Why would he do that here? Surely he knew he'd get caught if he tried to use dark magic on her here."_

 _Freya squirmed in James's grasp, trying to get back down to the ground and run away, but failing, as James's grip on the back of her neck and her legs only tightened. Sirius said quietly, "James, I don't mean using dark magic."_

 _Freya's animal eyes grew wide as she caught on to Sirius's implications. Twisting her head, she tried to bite James's hands to get free, unable to believe what Sirius was accusing his brother of. James shook her, grabbing her attention. "Freya, stop it," James insisted._

 _Remus said quietly, "Let's take her up to the dorm room. She needs to talk to us about what happened."_

 _Freya continued squirming as James tucked her away in his arms, and when she could finally get hold somewhere, she bit James's arm fiercely. He cried out in pain, but didn't drop her or even pull away, but merely continued to carry her up to the castle, the other three boys trailing behind. Seeing that biting him was getting her nowhere, Freya released James's arm and finally settled down, curling up in his arms. As they reached the common room, James's girlfriend Lily Evans approached him. Seeing the fox, Lily exclaimed, "Oh, what a cute little fox! Where did it come from?"_

 _James shrugged. "Oh, just found it outside. It looked hurt, so we thought we'd take care of it till it was healthy again."_

 _Suddenly noticing the blood on James's arm and Remus's hand, Lily gasped. "Did it bite you two? Why didn't you just let it go?"_

 _James laughed softly at his girlfriend's concern. "Darling, it's all right. The fox was a little scared at first, that's all. Everything's just fine now. See? She's snuggling up to me, as sweet as can be."_

 _Just to punctuate her brother's point, Freya smiled the way foxes do at Lily, then started licking at James's wounds in his arm from her bite. "Aww," Lily cooed. "Ok, just be careful to make sure Professor McGonagall doesn't find out. Foxes aren't approved pets you know."_

 _Sirius barked out a laugh. "We graduate in a week; what can she do?"_

 _Lily glared at Sirius. "Take away enough points from Gryffindor to keep us from winning the House Cup, for example?"_

 _James rolled his eyes at his best friend and his girlfriend. "We'll be careful, Lily. Come on, guys." Carrying Freya up to their dorm room, the four Marauders entered the dorm. James set Freya on the floor, who immediately ran under Remus's bed. James sighed. "Freya, come back out here and turn back into a human being. I mean it, we have to talk about this."_

 _Freya growled from where she hid, as far under the bed as she could get. Remus sat down on the floor beside his bed, reaching under the bed and trying to coax the younger girl out from underneath the furniture. "Come on, Freya," he cajoled. "We only want to help you. If Regulus hurt you, we have to know about it so we can do something about it."_

 _Freya rolled her eyes, annoyed, but Remus had always been her favorite of her brother's friends. She crawled slowly out from under his bed and curled up in a ball in Remus's lap. Remus ran a hand down her furry back, and Freya purred softly at the sensation, then licked his hand where she'd bitten him in apology. Remus asked the fox gently, "Freya, would you turn back into yourself please so we can talk to you?" The fox huffed a sigh, then climbed off the werewolf's lap and transformed into herself again, sitting beside him on the floor._

 _James demanded angrily, "What the hell is the matter with you, Freya? What happened to you? What did that Slytherin bastard do to you?"_

" _Nothing," Freya insisted. "Nothing happened. Regulus didn't touch me. I heard him coming and ran and hid in the bushes, plain and simple."_

" _Then why did you bite Remus and James and run from us?" Sirius asked suspiciously. "And why were you so bloody mean to Peter? That's not like you."_

 _Freya snapped, "Maybe because I didn't want to deal with your questions? I hid from Regulus, I forgot my sweater when I hid, that's all there is to it."_

 _Remus asked tenderly, "Why would you feel like you needed to hide from Regulus unless there was something bad going down between you two? Maybe he didn't hurt you today. Has he hurt you in the past?"_

 _Freya shook her head. "No," she insisted. "He's never hurt me. Can I go now?"_

 _Everyone looked to James for an answer. Running a hand through his hair, James sighed and consented. "Fine, but you better be telling me the truth, Freya. If he ever so much as touches you…"_

 _Freya said, exasperated, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'll be the first to know."_

* * *

 _Freya apparated into Hogsmeade the week after school let out, ready to get her date with Lawrence Hudson over with. She had nothing against the Ravenclaw, but she didn't feel she had much in common with the boy. Looking around for Lawrence, Freya was startled to see Regulus Black walking towards her instead. "Hello, Potter," Regulus said smugly._

 _Freya sighed. "What are you doing here? Where's Lawrence?"_

" _Oh, he was here. However, after it was suggested to him that he would be better off going to Diagon Alley with a few extra galleons today instead of keeping his date with you, he happily took off. I decided if he was going to be so inconsiderate of you, I should wait here for you to arrive and take his place."_

" _Uh huh," Freya said suspiciously. "In other words, you bribed him to stay away from me and let you take me on a date instead?" Regulus smirked. "Fine," she sighed. "But I will not be seen out on a date with a Death Eater like you."_

 _Regulus shrugged. "Fine." Suddenly, he threw an arm around her waist and pulled her into a side-along apparation. Reappearing, Freya looked around, startled by the sudden apparation. She found herself standing on a rooftop overlooking London. "Then you can be seen with me in my own home. Welcome to 12 Grimmauld Place."_

 _There was a dinner set up on a table a few feet away. Nothing especially fancy, no candles or anything romantic like that, but a simple meal on a rooftop. "Regulus, what is all this about?" Freya asked skeptically._

 _Regulus sighed, enfolding Freya in his arms. Freya tensed up at the contact, but Regulus just smiled at her anyway. "Freya, I'm fascinated by you. I know my beliefs might repulse you, but does that mean we can't be into each other?"_

 _Freya raised an eyebrow. "You aren't capable of being attracted to anyone for any other reason than their blood purity, and I have absolutely no interest in such rubbish."_

 _Freya tried to pull away, but Regulus wouldn't let her go. "That's not true," Regulus insisted. "Let me prove it. Just spend the day here with me, get to know me."_

* * *

Freya had gotten to know Regulus incredibly well that night, including memorizing every inch of his body. They had yet to leave Grimmauld Place on a proper date, but it never mattered. The two had fallen deeply in love that summer, and managed to keep it a secret from everyone. Freya smiled slightly, not knowing where any of this would take her, but at the moment, she didn't care.


	2. Chapter 2

**September 1978**

Freya sat down beside Diana as Professor Slughorn began his Potions class. "Good morning, students," Slughorn said cheerily. "Let's start today by assigning permanent partners for the year, as today we will be working in pairs." Working his way down a list, Slughorn finally got to Freya. "Freya Potter and Regulus Black." Freya jumped a little at the mention of their names together, and a moment later, Freya felt a strong, familiar hand brush against the small of her back as Regulus replaced Diana in the seat beside Freya. Regulus winked at Freya as Professor Slughorn said, "Now, we will be working on an especially complex potion today, and it is highly doubtful that any of you will get it perfect on the first attempt, so don't be upset if it turns lavender instead of deep violet. The potion for the next week will be the Antidote to Veritaserum. So students, let's gather up our ingredients and begin. You'll find the recipe on page 57 of your textbooks."

Freya started to stand up to retrieve the ingredients from Slughorn's cabinet, then felt Regulus's hand heavy on her shoulder. "Stay," Regulus said softly in her ear. "I'll get it."

Regulus crossed the room to gather the ingredients, and for the next two hours, Regulus and Freya worked side by side on their potion assignment. When the class reached it's end, their potion was a beautiful shade of violet. Regulus poured the potion into a container and handed it to Freya, who turned it in to Professor Slughorn at his desk as Regulus cleaned up their work station. Slughorn looked both surprised and delighted. "Why, Miss Potter, this potion is perfect! It would appear that pairing you with Mr. Black was a stroke of brilliance on my part. You two make perfect partners," Slughorn exclaimed. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for you, Miss Potter," Slughorn said. Then, calling across the classroom, Slughorn continued, "And twenty points to Slytherin for you, Mr. Black, for this excellent potion."

Freya smiled as she returned to her seat, gathering her things. Diana walked over to her, clutching her potions book in her arms, giving Freya a questioning look. Freya shrugged. "What?"

Slughorn announced, "Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Two feet of parchment on my desk by Monday morning on the Antidote to Veritaserum that we have been working on today. Class dismissed; have an wonderful day!"

Freya walked out the door of the classroom, surprised that she was followed not only by Diana and Charlotte, but also by Regulus. Diana and Charlotte were quick to turn on the Slytherin and proverbially bare their teeth at him. "What do you want, Black?" Diana demanded.

Regulus smirked at the two Gryffindor girls as they sought to protect their friend from what they seemed to consider a threat. Freya smiled playfully at the Slytherin boy, resting her arms on one shoulder of each of her friends. "Oh, come on now, Diana," Freya said easily. "Play nice with the little snake."

Diana and Charlotte frowned at Freya as Charlotte said worriedly, "But Freya, there's clearly something up…"

Freya teased, "Charlotte, don't be paranoid." Freya looked at Regulus with her best bedroom eyes, and loved the reaction in the Slytherin's muscle tension that only she noticed. "Regulus, is there something I can help you with?"

Regulus grinned at her, shaking his head. "I'm sure there is," he said, taking a step closer to Freya, only to find his path block by Charlotte and Diana. "But I don't have anything specific in mind, so I guess there's nothing to be done about it." Winking at Freya, he moved around the three girls and headed in the direction of the Great Hall for lunch.

Diana frowned at Freya. "Ok, I need you to be honest with us. What the hell is going on between you and Black?" Diana snapped.

Freya rolled her eyes. "Diana, there's nothing going on," Freya insisted, turning around and heading up towards the main part of the castle.

Charlotte and Diana struggled to keep up with her as Charlotte said, "You two seemed awfully familiar with each other while you worked on your potion, though. The only other person I've seen you seem that familiar with was Sirius, and you two snogged."

Diana's eyes widened. "Hey, wait a minute! Freya, have you been sneaking around with Regulus Black?" Diana asked.

Freya retorted, "Absolutely not, and if I were it would be none of your business." Turning towards the Great Hall, Freya went inside and sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

* * *

 **October 1978**

From across the pub, Freya watched as Regulus laughed at the bar of the Three Broomsticks with Barty Crouch, Jr. Although she was managing to overlook Regulus's Dark Mark and pureblood beliefs, Freya still found herself deeply disliking and disapproving of the company the Slytherin kept. Diana was babbling excitedly about the Halloween party that was going to be thrown in the Gryffindor common room that night. "You are going to be there for the party, aren't you, Freya?" Diana asked.

Freya turned her attention to her best friend and smiled. "Of course."

Diana frowned. "Is everything all right? You're staring at Black again. Are you sure that there's nothing going on between you two? I mean, is he bullying you or something?"

Freya shook her head. "No, no, I keep telling you, there's nothing going on with Regulus Black. So just stop asking about it, ok? What's so wrong with me looking at a cute guy for no reason?" Freya snapped.

Diana looked a little hurt, and Freya immediately regretted getting upset with her. "All right, fine, sorry," Diana mumbled.

Freya sighed. "Diana, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that."

Diana shrugged, still upset. "Whatever, it's ok. Forget about it." Freya looked down at her butterbeer, mentally kicking herself.

* * *

 **November 1978**

Pushing Freya on top of the desk in the abandoned classroom, Regulus attacked her shoulder and collarbone with nips and kisses as he pushed her button-up shirt off her, baring her shoulder. Gripping his black hair, Freya tugged Regulus closer to her as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Regulus pulled his lips away from her shoulder, brushed a sweet kiss to her lips, then said softly, "You're friends are getting suspicious again."

Freya sighed. "I don't think they ever really stopped suspecting, Regulus. They just stopped asking for a little while."

Regulus frowned. "If we want to continue on in secret like this, they have to stop asking questions for good. I don't really care how you make them stop, just make it happen."

Freya raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you telling me to put them under the Imperius Curse to shut them up?"

Regulus shrugged. "If that's what it takes."

Freya dropped her legs from around the Slytherin's waist, leaning back slightly on the desk to put space between them. "Now, wait a minute. I know you're a Death Eater, but I'm not. I'm not going to be putting anybody under any Unforgiveable Curses. I don't use dark magic."

Regulus sighed heavily, seeming to grow impatient. "Freya, if our relationship comes to light, either you would have to become a Death Eater, or I would die for being with you. You know this; it's why we've kept things between us a secret for so long. But if my life means so little to you that you aren't willing to do what it takes to protect our secret, then by all means, please, let them find out what we've been hiding. If they find out, it will only put them in danger."

Freya asked angrily, "What, you mean from you? Are you threatening to hurt my friends if they find out?"

Regulus cupped her face in his hands, compelling her to look into his eyes as he stared hard at her. "I'm not threatening," Regulus said in a low, sinister voice. "I'm telling you. Protect your relationship; protect your friends. Because I'm only going to protect us. Understand?" Freya frowned, but nodded. Regulus's face softened, and he planted a loving kiss on her lips, her chin, her nose, her forehead, then back to her lips. Pulling away, he smiled gently at Freya and said, "Good. I love you, Freya. I don't want to lose what we have."

Freya smiled herself at that, and replied softly, "I love you too, Regulus."

* * *

Freya sat quietly by the fireplace of the empty Gryffindor common room, staring at the wand in her hands. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Freya contemplated what she was considering doing. As the term had progressed, Freya could feel herself slowly withdrawing from her friends and family. She spent considerably less time with her two best friends, and she had sending fewer and fewer owls to her brother as the term continued. She'd been receiving tons of owls, especially lately, from James, Sirius, and Remus, but she'd put off answering any of them. Freya could feel something inside her twisting, changing, shifting. That summer, she had managed to keep her rendezvous with Regulus a secret from her brother and his friends. It was the only secret she had ever kept from her brother, and Freya could feel it eating away at her. She heard Diana and Charlotte enter the common room through the portrait hole, laughing. The laughter died away when they saw her. Coming and sitting down on either side of her, Diana and Charlotte looked at her with obvious worry. Diana asked softly, "Freya, are you ok?"

Freya nodded, not looking at either of the two girls. Charlotte asked, "Are you sure? What's going on with you? You're getting more and more distant every day; you've got us worried."

Diana nodded her agreement. "Freya, please, you're our best friend. We care about you. Ever since you started flirting with Regulus all the time, you've been pulling away from us. When you first got to school, you used to send James owls all the time. When was the last time you sent him an owl?"

Freya shook her head, then muttered, "I don't know."

Charlotte said gently, "He's started sending the two of us owls because you weren't answering him. He's really worried about you. We've had to tell him that the only thing we know is that you seem depressed, and you're not really talking to anyone anymore. You seem so different."

Diana asked quietly, "What is Regulus Black doing to you? This isn't like you…"

Freya shook her head. "He's doing nothing to me. Please, _please_ , stop asking me about him."

Diana furrowed her brow in confusion at her best friend. "What's going on with you? Please, talk to us, we just want to help you."

Freya insisted, "I don't need any help. Please, just leave it alone. Don't ever bring it up again, ok? And stop talking to my brother about me behind my back."

Charlotte argued, "We're not going behind your back, Freya. We're just trying to help."

"Well, stop," Freya hissed. "I don't need any help. I need you to stop asking so many damn questions."

As Freya stood up, Diana declared, "No, Freya. We won't just let this go. Something's happening to you, and until you tell us what it is, we won't stop asking about it."

Freya sighed, dropping her head in defeat. "Fine," Freya muttered. She turned her wand on her two best friends. "Imperio," she murmured, the white mist encircling Diana and becoming absorbed into her mind.

Charlotte jumped up, her mouth open in shock as she stared at Freya. "Freya, what the hell are you doing?" Charlotte demanded. "She's your best friend; how can you do that to her?"

Casting another Imperius Curse over Charlotte, Freya stuttered, "Shut up and sit down." Charlotte sat back down, and both girls were silent. Freya ran a hand threw her auburn hair, tugging at it nervously. "Umm, ok," Freya continued. "Never mention Regulus Black to me again, understand? Don't ask about him or me or the two of us together or anything like that. Write James and tell him it's a false alarm, that I've just been busy and overwhelmed with schoolwork. Tell him that I'm fine, that I'm happy and healthy. Then never mention any of this again, and don't tell anyone ever that I cursed you guys. Got it?" The two seated Gryffindors nodded, causing Freya to breathe a sigh of relief. "Ok, then go to bed I guess, and act like everything's normal in the morning." The blonde and brunette stood up and went upstairs to the dorm room. Freya collapsed onto the couch as tears started building in her eyes. "Damn it, what have I done?" Freya whispered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**December 1978**

The moment Freya stepped off the Hogwarts Express with her bag, she was tackled in a constricting hug by her older brother. The eighteen-year-old man placed a sloppy kiss to his sister's cheek, causing her to scrunch up her face and pull away. Lily smiled at the pair as she, Sirius, and Remus watched from a few feet away. Sirius pulled James off his little sister with a laugh. James threw one arm around Freya's shoulders, tossing the other around his wife of only six months, and leading them away from the crowds of people. James exclaimed, "Freya, I've missed you, you pest! Why haven't you been answering my bloody owls?"

Freya shrugged. "Just kept forgetting, James. I've been too busy preparing for the N.E.W.T.s next term to really think about much else."

Freya thought she saw a flicker of a frown on James's face, but then the easy smile returned to his face. "Well, let's apparate home then!" James, Lily, and Freya all apparated back to the Potter house with a single pop, with Sirius and Remus following close behind them. The group walked into the house, and James plopped onto one of the sofas, pulling his sister down beside him. A house elf brought tea, and everyone had a cup as the group relaxed into joking and laughter. Sirius and Remus argued jovially over the decorating as they attempted to put together a Christmas tree in the living room. Freya smiled slightly at the two as they quarreled like an old married couple, then looked down at her tea. The drink had a slight aftertaste that she didn't quite recognize. Suddenly, Freya felt nervous, the way she did when she knew James was up to something, the feeling that was usually precursory to Freya being covered by a slime bomb or some other nonsense. James shook his head at Sirius and Remus, then grinned at Freya, turning his attention to her. "How's the tea?" he asked.

Freya watched him suspiciously. "It has a funny taste, actually," Freya replied. "What did you do to it?" James shrugged, and Freya couldn't help noticing that Lily's smile seemed to falter. "Lily," Freya said. "What has James done to my tea?"

Lily looked away nervously and answered quickly, "Nothing at all, Freya. Why would you think he'd done something to it?"

Freya noticed that Sirius and Remus had quieted down, and turning around, she found they were watching her intently. Freya turned on James again, and asked harshly, "What have you done to me, James?"

James placed his hands on his baby sister's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. After a moment, he said softly, "I had the house elf put Veritaserum in your cup of tea."

Freya's heart began pounding furiously in her chest as all the blood drained from her face. She was realizing that her brother hadn't believed the letters she'd compelled her best friends to write him saying that she was fine. Out of nowhere, Freya slapped her brother as hard as she could across the face, knocking his glasses askew. Jumping to her feet, backing away from James, Freya demanded, "How could you, James? What have I done? Why don't you trust me anymore?"

Freya felt strong hands grasp her upper arms tightly, and she fought against them viciously. It took her a moment to see that it was Sirius who had hold of her. Looking back at James, Freya saw her brother rubbing at the now-tender place on his jaw and cheek where she had hit him. Lily examined it gently, asking if he was all right. As James resettled his glasses on his face properly, he replied tensely, "Yeah, I'm fine. Her bark is worse than her bite." James stood up, then addressed Freya. "I don't trust you anymore because you've clearly started keeping secrets from me. If you're not going to trust me, then I'm not going to be able to trust you, Freya."

Freya kicked Sirius's shin as hard as she could, eliciting a groan from the man, but he still didn't release her arms. "James, hurry up," Sirius complained. "That one hurt."

James sighed. "All right, all right," James conceded. James took a couple steps closer to Freya, then asked, "Freya, what's been going on with you? Why haven't you been answering any of our owls?" Freya bit her lip hard, nearly breaking the skin, in an effort to remain silent, glaring at him defiantly. James groaned, "Ok, let's try something else. Your friends told me that you've seemed depressed and withdrawn ever since term started. Now, for some strange reason, a couple weeks later they owled me again, taking back what they'd told me, saying you were just overworked lately and tired. Now, by itself it might have made sense, but even before that, last summer, it seemed like you were keeping a secret from me that was eating away at you. You didn't seem like yourself. Combine that with people telling me you're hiding away from all of your friends and depressed, and I call that something to be suspicious of. So what is it, Freya? What are you hiding from everyone that's making you act so much unlike yourself?"

Freya's eyes scanned the room, desperate for a way out before she said something she shouldn't. She shook her head hard. James took a gentle hold of her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. Lily stood a step behind James, and she begged her sister-in-law, "Freya, please, just tell us. We only want to help you."

Growing more frantic with every passing moment, Freya finally did the only thing she could think of to try to get away to hide until the potion had worn off. Reaching into her pocket before Sirius could stop her, Freya pulled out her wand and pointed it over her shoulder, casting a Conjunctivitis Curse on Sirius. As pain exploded in his eyes, he let go of Freya so he could cover his eyes. In that second, Freya transformed into a fox and darted between James's legs and around Lily, making Lily squeal as James and Remus turned to chase after her. Freya raced up the stairs as quickly as she could, headed for her bedroom, but the two men behind her caught up to her too quickly. Remus cast the Animagus Reversal Spell on Freya, and the girl fell flat on her face on the staircase. James pulled her to her feet, demanding, "Freya, what the bloody hell are you doing? Is whatever you're keeping from me really worth hurting Sirius like that?"

Sirius's whimpers of pain could be heard as James and Remus took away Freya's wand and dragged her back down the stairs to the living room. Lily was returning from the potion cabinet with a bottle of Oculus Potion for Sirius as the three reentered the room. Lily glared at Freya as she walked past. Forcing Sirius's hands away from his eyes, Lily used a dropper to drip some of the potion into Sirius's swollen eyes. Quickly after the potion was administered, Sirius's eyes returned to normal, and the man could see again. Sirius snapped at Freya, "Bloody hell, Freya, what the hell are you hiding?"

Freya could feel tears building in her eyes, then blinked them away. "Don't make me do this, James, please," Freya begged.

James shoved her down onto the couch and stood over her. "Tough," James said severely. "Tell me the truth, now. No more games. Have you been depressed?"

Freya pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, curling up in a ball on the sofa. "Yes," she whispered. Then she shook her head. "But no. I don't know."

James's face softened slightly at seeing his little sister in so much pain. Sitting down on the couch beside Freya, James wrapped his arms around her as he pleaded, "Tell me what's going on, little fox. Let me help you out of whatever hole you've dug yourself in to."

Freya mumbled, "I don't need help, James. Leave me alone."

Remus sat on the arm of the couch on Freya's other side as he watched the two Potters. "Freya," Remus said soothingly. "Whatever this is, it's tearing you apart. Whoever you've gotten involved with is hurting you."

Freya retorted, her eyes snapping up to glare at Remus, "He's not hurting me." Catching herself a little too late, Freya continued, "No one is hurting me. I'm just depressed, and the only cause is me."

James shook her gently. "Damn it, Freya," James moaned. "Even under Veritaserum, you're not lying to us, but you're doing everything you bloody can to avoid answering the question."

Sirius murmured, "At least she didn't try to make your eyeballs explode." James, Lily, and Remus all turned to glare at Sirius. Turning a little red, Sirius mumbled, "Sorry."

Freya said softly, "I'm sorry, Sirius."

Sirius shrugged. "It's all right," he mumbled from where he still sat on the floor in the spot he fell down after she had cursed him.

James sighed. "Freya," he said, bringing her attention back to him. "Diana and Charlotte said they suspected Regulus Black was somehow involved in whatever was happening to you. They said you watch him constantly, that it's like for some reason your life is suddenly revolving around him, even without you two ever getting near each other. They think there's something more going on here. Is there something going on between you and Regulus Black?"

Freya stopped breathing at James's question. She couldn't allow herself to breathe, because if she did, she would answer James truthfully, and Freya could never allow him to know about the relationship that existed between her and Regulus. After a few moments, Remus sighed. "James, she's holding her breath," Remus said sadly, shaking his head.

James grinned suddenly. "Well, I know just how to make that stop," James said mischievously. Before Freya could realize what was happening, James had attacked his sister's stomach, tickling her until she had no choice but to let out the breath she had been holding with a shriek of laughter. James asked again, "Is there something going on between you and Regulus Black?"

Freya squealed, trying to climb over Remus to get away from James, but Remus merely grinned and grabbed onto her, joining James in the playful interrogation technique. Finally, Freya couldn't hold it in anymore, and exclaimed, "Yes! Ok? Let me go!"

The tickling instantly stopped, and the room grew very solemn. Sirius slammed his fist on the floor furiously, the suddenness of the action making Freya flinch. Remus continued to hold onto Freya where she was laying partially on his lap to keep her from falling to the floor as Sirius growled, "I knew that bloody snake was up to no good. I'm going to kill him."

Freya cried, "Sirius, no! Leave him alone!"

James stared at his sister, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. "Wait, Freya. Are you defending Regulus?" her brother asked sharply.

Freya squirmed in Remus's arms, but to no avail. "Yes," Freya snapped. "He's done nothing wrong; leave him alone."

James frowned. "Freya," he said gently. "The Aurors suspect that Regulus may have been branded with the Dark Mark sometime last year. He's a suspected Death Eater. He's most likely in league with Voldemort already. He's dangerous."

Freya shook her head. "He's never hurt me," Freya mumbled as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Sirius shouted, "He might not have to physically hurt you! Maybe just the threat of being hurt is enough for you, yeah? Maybe you can't even see what he's doing to you. He'll destroy you in the end. He'll pull you into that demented pureblood bullshit of his and their Death Eater mess, and you'll be trapped. Can't you see what he's done to you already? You're lying to your brother, the one person you love more than anyone else in the world, you're keeping secrets from your family and friends and won't talk to any of us. I bet he even made you cast the Imperius Curse on Diana and Charlotte to make them write that second batch of letters to James, didn't he?"

Freya screamed back, "Regulus didn't force me to do anything! I was protecting them; they were asking too many damn questions! They had to shut the hell up before they got hurt."

The other Gryffindors surrounding Freya looked stunned. "Freya," James said gently, as though he thought she had lost her mind. "Are you saying that you really did Imperius your best friends into writing those letters?"

Choking on tears, Freya could only nod in answer. Remus pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly as she sobbed. Lily quietly left the room, and Sirius fumed where he sat on the rug. James sat back, too shocked to say anything. A few minutes later, Sirius stood up, wand in hand. "That's it; he's taken this thing way too far," Sirius snarled. "He's going to pay for this."

Freya saw Sirius stomping over to the fireplace and shrieked, trying to break out of Remus's grip. "Sirius, stop! Don't you dare hurt him! Leave him alone!"

Remus struggled to keep Freya from attacking Sirius. James eyed his best friend, who stopped and turned around. "James, are you coming with me?" Sirius asked.

James nodded and stood up, readying his own wand. At this point, Freya lost her senses. "James, don't, please!" Seeing her pleading was getting her nowhere, Freya threatened, "If either of you touch him, I'll kill you!" James froze mid-step, and Sirius seemed to pause, contemplating if it was worth it. Freya shouted again, "I mean it, James Charlus Potter, do you bloody hear me? Whatever you do to Regulus, I'll do it to you and make it ten times worse. Don't you _dare_ touch him. That goes for you, too, Sirius Orion Black!"

James's shoulders slumped under an invisible weight at her words. Sirius turned back around, walking back over to Freya, placing his wand in his pocket and cupping her face in his hands, staring deep into her eyes, making Freya squirm nervously. Pushing the now-wild auburn hair out of Freya's face, she was surprised to see what looked like tears in his eyes. He took a deep breath, then said softly, "What hurts the most, Freya, is knowing that every word of what you just said is the truth. If you're threatening James and me like this, then Regulus has twisted you inside so much that you're not even you anymore, because the Freya I know would never even hurt a flobberworm."

Freya tried her best not to cry as James slowly turned back, collapsing into a nearby armchair across the room from his sister. She whispered through the tears, "I'm sorry. James, I'm so sorry."

James just sat there, dropping his head into his hands, breathing heavily to keep his temper even. Remus slowly stood up, forcing Freya to her feet. "Come on," Remus said softly. "Why don't I take you up to your bedroom?"

James suddenly sat up straight, his eyes red from holding back tears. "No," James commanded. "She's staying here. I haven't got all the answers I want yet, and the Veritaserum will wear off soon." James stood up and walked over to Freya, towering over his much shorter sister. "What's going on between you and Black?" James demanded.

Sighing, Freya answered in frustration, "Don't you get that I can't tell you yet? Knowing will put everyone in danger. You already know too much."

James grabbed her arm suddenly. "Oh yeah?" James snapped. "Well, I don't know if you would for me anymore, but I would gladly die if it meant keeping you safe. Or is it too late for you? Did Black give you the Dark Mark already?"

Freya's eyes grew wide as James rolled up her left sleeve. "What?" she exclaimed. "No, of course not! Blood purity is total rubbish; I'd never become a Death Eater. It's not like that."

James muttered several spells over Freya's bare left forearm, making sure she didn't have a Dark Mark hidden under some enchantment. "Fine, then if it's not like that, what is it like?" James said roughly.

"If I tell you and Regulus finds out, there's no telling what he'll do to protect us from being exposed," Freya mumbled.

James raised his voice at her. "I don't care. He picks a fight with us, he'll only be getting himself hurt. So tell me the truth. Now."

Freya flinched at the venom in her brother's voice. "He – He's my boyfriend," she whispered. "We started dating the first week of summer."

Sirius slammed his fist against the wall. "Of bloody course," Sirius growled. Turning on Freya, he shouted, "What the bloody hell is the matter with you? Regulus is a damn Death Eater! He's dangerous; he's tearing you apart. What, did you want to date me after all and decide that you couldn't have me, so you'd take Regulus instead? He's nothing like me on the inside, Freya; hell, you should've known that! What were you thinking?"

James held up a hand. "Wait a damn minute," James yelled. "What the bloody hell do you mean, Sirius, about her wanting to date you?"

Freya, seeing a chance to direct her brother's anger away from her, jumped in. "Sirius slept with me twice last year and never told you," she said quickly. "He never took me out on a proper date, he just slept with me and walked away. He said he didn't want to have a relationship with anyone."

Sirius pointed a finger at Freya, yelling, "Now hold on there! You said you didn't want a relationship either; don't try to put all of this off on me."

"That's it!" James shouted. "I can't take any more of either of you right now. Freya, go to your room. Now! Sirius, go home to your flat. I don't care, just get out. I don't want to see you again before tomorrow."

"Fine," Sirius snapped, walking out the front door and slamming it behind him.

Freya let Remus lead her out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom. The pale purple walls of the room that normally made Freya feel happy and safe suddenly felt constrictive. Remus started to leave, then Freya turned to him. "Remus?" He paused, watching her with a sad but curious look. "I'm really sorry," she said, feeling lame that it was all she could think of.

Remus shrugged. "It's not me you ought to be apologizing to," he said softly. "but if it makes any difference, I forgive you." Freya nodded, and Remus left her alone, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

It was early the next morning when James slipped into Freya's bedroom, where she lay in bed, pretending to be asleep, hoping to avoid another fight with him. James sat on the foot of the bed, rubbing her leg soothingly through the quilt. "I'm not angry anymore, Freya," James said softly.

Freya rolled over to face her brother, she reached out and took hold of James's hand. James squeezed her hand tightly. "I'm sorry, for everything," Freya whispered.

James smiled slightly down at her. "It's ok. I forgive you," James replied. "Do you mind?" he asked. Freya nodded her consent and scooted over to make room for him in the bed. Crawling under the covers beside his sister, he gave her a tight hug. "I'm sorry for the way that whole thing went," James mumbled into Freya's hair. "It wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to go a whole lot more smoothly."

Freya shrugged. "I was never going to react well to that line of questioning," she mumbled. "Sirius is right; Regulus is changing me. Six months ago, I'd have never done anything like any of this." Freya paused. "James, you know I'd never hurt you, right? I just – I got so angry when I thought Regulus could be in danger, I didn't want anything to happen to him."

James frowned. "Let's just not talk about that, ok? We both know you were being honest when you said that."

Freya said sadly, "I know, but I'm just saying, I wasn't in my right mind. James, I love him. I'm really really sorry, but if I was threatening Lily, wouldn't you jump to protect her? Wouldn't you be more concerned in that moment about her safety than mine?"

James said, "Yes, but I wouldn't have hurt you to keep her safe. I'd have stunned you, but I certainly wouldn't have threatened to kill you."

Freya rolled her eyes. "Maybe, but you can't really know that without being in that situation, can you?"

James sighed. "Fine, I guess you're right." Freya cuddled closer to her older brother. "Why do you love him? He's clearly not any good for you. How can you be so attracted to him?"

Freya shrugged. "I don't know; I just am."

* * *

The next morning, Freya came down the stairs to find Sirius and James sitting together at the kitchen table, reconciled after the fight of the night before. She held her wand behind her back, wishing she didn't have to do what she was about to do. Sneaking up on the two wizards, Freya whispered, "Obliviate." Instantly, she had erased all of the two men's memories of the fight from the night before, the fact that Regulus had anything to do with her, and the fact that she seemed withdrawn and depressed. As far as the two men were concerned, everything was perfectly fine. Slipping away, she sneaked back upstairs and cast the same spell on Lily as she slept in James's bedroom. Finally, she flooed over to Remus's house. Before he could say anything, she erased his memory as necessary, including of the fact that she had been in his flat that morning.

Returning to the Potter family home, James caught sight of Freya and smiled. "Hey, baby sis, how'd you sleep last night?" James asked cheerily.

Freya smiled slightly. "Fine," she lied. Freya breathed a sigh of relief when James and Sirius accepted that response and began joking around with each other again. She hated having to put the people she loved most under Memory Charms, but it was for their own safety, as well as hers and Regulus's, and that was all that mattered. They were all safe.


	4. Chapter 4

**December 1978**

Sitting on the bed in her room, Freya stared down at the wand in her hand with disbelief. It had been eighteen hours since she had Obliviated her brother and friends, but Freya still struggled to grasp the reality of her actions. She shook her head, frowning, angry with herself. What had she been thinking? _Maybe James had been right_ , she thought to herself. _Maybe she did need help._

Just then, there was a tapping sound coming from her window. Standing up and walking over to the window, Freya let the large black owl into the room. The owl landed on her desk chair and stuck out its leg, where a note was attached. Freya untied the note from the familiar owl's leg. Giving him an owl treat, Freya mumbled, "Thanks, Ezekiel." Opening the note, she read, _'I need you here, now. — R.A.B.'_ Sighing, Freya said to the owl, "Ezekiel, fly home to Regulus. No reply necessary."

The large black owl hooted once, then took off out the window, disappearing into the dark. Freya changed out of her pajamas into something warm, and, throwing a black cashmere cloak around her shoulders, she slipped as quietly as possible down the stairs to the fireplace. She threw the floo powder down in the fireplace, and a few moments later found herself standing in the basement of 12 Grimmauld Place in front of the fireplace. Regulus was sitting in a chair at the long table, waiting for her arrival. Seeing Freya, Regulus's face lit up. He jumped up from his seat and rushed to her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her hard. Freya tangled her fingers in his black hair, tugging slightly, eliciting a soft moan from the man. She smiled slightly against Regulus's lips at the noise. He pulled back, lingering close to her lips, and whispered, "Merlin, I've missed you."

Freya's smile widened. "I've missed you too," Freya whispered back.

Entwining their fingers together, Regulus took hold of Freya's hands and said softly, "Why don't you come upstairs to my room with me? I got that book from Flourish and Blotts you'd mentioned wanting to read; we can lay in bed and read it together."

Placing a sweet kiss on Regulus's lips, Freya excitedly answered, "That sounds absolutely wonderful."

"Good," Regulus said, a smirk spreading on his lips. Pulling her along gently behind him, Regulus sneaked Freya up from the basement to his bedroom on the fourth floor, barely missing being caught by his mother. Pulling her into his room, Regulus pushed Freya up against the closed door and suddenly bit gently on her neck, making her gasp. Regulus smirked at her reaction, licking at the sensitive skin where he'd bitten her. "Perhaps the book could wait a little longer, yeah? Read afterwards?" Regulus said, pulling away and looking into her eyes seductively.

Freya ran her nails down Regulus's bare chest, her hands finding her way lower until they made Regulus's eyes widen, his head lulling forward, a guttural moan lingering in his throat. Freya grinned enticingly. "I think that just might be a wonderful idea," Freya whispered lustfully. Regulus smirked almost evilly at the girl before grabbing the backs of her thighs and picking her up. Freya wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as she pressed her body as close to his as she could, tangling her fingers in his hair again. Placing one hand under her bum and the other between her shoulder blades, Regulus carried Freya away from the wall. Dropping her easily onto the large bed, Regulus climbed on top of her, pulling off her clothes as he moved up her body, kissing every inch of exposed skin. Her body arching into Regulus's touch, Freya let him make her forget everything else in the world.

* * *

As Freya slowly woke up, she rubbed her eyes as she settled further under the blankets to escape the cold air. She felt her pillow vibrate as she heard a soft chuckle, and her mind processed that it wasn't a pillow at all, but Regulus Black's chest on which her head laid. Freya smiled slightly at the realization. She felt his lips brush her hair, then heard him murmur, "Good morning, love."

Freya smiled for another moment, then the fact that it was morning settled into reality. She suddenly bolted upright, not caring that she was still naked when the blanket fell away from her chest as she did so. Turning and looking at him, Freya's eyes grew wide with fright. "Morning? No, no, no, it can't be morning," she exclaimed.

Regulus frowned as she jumped out of bed, hissing as her feet made contact with the cold hardwood floor, and began rummaging around for her clothes. Rolling onto his side as he watched her, Regulus asked, "So what? It's morning, big deal. You've spent the night here plenty of times."

Freya, finding Regulus's watch on the nightstand, gasped at the time. "Yes, but never until nine in the morning! James, Lily, and Sirius will notice that I'm gone, and I can't go around Obliviating them every stupid day when I slip up," Freya groaned.

Regulus frowned. "What does that mean?" he asked.

Freya stopped her rushing about the room, pulling on her underwear and bra as she answered, "Night before last, James slipped me Veritaserum, and forced me to spill the truth about us, about everything. I had to Obliviate four people in order to keep us a secret yesterday morning! I can't do that again, Regulus, or I might cause permanent damage. I can't hurt them like that. They might not put the two of us together right away, but it certainly won't take long." Freya, now clothed in her underwear, covered her face with her hands and sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do…"

Looking as though his heart had dropped to his stomach, Regulus wrapped his hand around Freya's wrist, pulling her back onto the soft bed and underneath the warm covers, pulling her body up against his naked one. Playing delicately with her hair, Regulus murmured, "Freya, maybe it's time. Maybe it's time that people find out about us."

Freya shivered against the cold, causing Regulus to pull another blanket up over her. "But I can't become a Death Eater," Freya said as her fingers traced lightly over the Dark Mark on Regulus's arm. "And I'm not willing to risk Voldemort killing you. I love you too much to condemn you to that fate because of me."

Regulus pressed his lips to her hair, then pulling back to look into Freya's eyes, asked softly, "What if you didn't have to become a Death Eater yourself, and I wouldn't have to die?"

Freya narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the Slytherin. "What do you mean?"

"My cousin Narcissa married a Death Eater but isn't one herself, but she's a loyal pureblood who has married into the cause and support's Lucius's actions with the Death Eaters. Maybe you could do the same. If you did that, you're not taking the Dark Mark, and we're both still safe." Freya's eyes widened as Regulus reached over her into a drawer of the nightstand, pulling out a small black ring box. Opening it, he revealed a sparkling solitary diamond set in a gold ring. "So, will you marry me?"

Freya shook her head in disbelief. "Is this a joke?" she asked softly, ghosting her fingers against the hard rock of the diamond.

Regulus smiled at her, seeming to hope that her surprise was a good sign for him. "No, of course, it's not," Regulus said with a grin. "This would actually work. We could introduce you to my parents this morning, tell them we're engaged, then send you back to your house to gather your things before you move in here. So what do you say?" Freya felt tears of happiness building in her eyes, and her throat constricted from the effort not to cry, so she simply nodded. Regulus looked overjoyed, taking the ring out of the box and slipping it onto Freya's finger. Kissing her lovingly, Regulus mumbled, "Come on, now, let's get dressed so we can show you off."

Freya nodded, and quickly hopped back out of bed, finding her blue robes and throwing them on, then grabbing her black cloak and pulling it over her shoulders. Regulus watched her with a slight smirk on his lips as he admired her figure from his bed. Finally, after she was nearly fully dressed, Regulus dragged himself from bed as well, planting a tender kiss on the back of Freya's neck as he passed her on his way to the closet, sending shivers down her spine. When both were dressed at last, Regulus summoned his house elf. The elf appeared with a pop, bowing to Regulus while eyeing Freya suspiciously. "Yes, Master Regulus?" Kreacher asked.

Regulus asked, "Where are mother and father, Kreacher?"

Kreacher replied, "Master Orion and Mistress Walburga are on the ground floor of the house, having breakfast in the dining room. Shall Kreacher prepare plates for Master Regulus and his guest as well?"

Regulus nodded, saying, "Yes, I do believe that would be best. But something small, we have a busy day ahead of us and can't spend much time eating breakfast."

"Of course, Master Regulus," Kreacher said with a bow, then popped away.

Regulus entwined his hand with Freya's as he led her down the stairs to the dining room. Freya trembled with nerves, remembering all the horror stories she had heard from Sirius about Orion and Walburga Black. Feeling her shake, Regulus looked back at Freya with a smile and squeezed her hand comfortingly. As they reached the ground floor, Freya forced a smile and nodded. Regulus led her into the dining room, where Orion and Walburga looked up at the pair. "Regulus," Orion said with a certain command to his voice that made Freya shiver. "Who is this friend you have brought into my house?"

Regulus grinned excitedly at his parents, then announced, "Father, Mother, this is Freya Potter. She is a loyal pureblood, and she has just accepted my proposal of marriage."

Orion raised an eyebrow at the pair, but Walburga's face exploded into a wide smile. Jumping up from her seat, the Black family matriarch rushed over to hug her son. "Oh, my son has found a proper pureblood girl to marry at long last!" Walburga exclaimed. Releasing her son from her embrace, Walburga swallowed Freya's small frame with her large, round figure as she hugged her son's fiancé. "I am so happy to be bringing another girl into this house at last."

Orion sat back in his chair, asking, his voice portraying no emotion one way or the other, "Is the girl pregnant?"

Freya blushed furiously at Orion's question as Walburga let go of her. Regulus took her hand again and answered, "No, of course not, Father."

"Very well then," Orion said, a slight smile cracking his face. "Then we'll have to marry you two off as quickly as possible so you can get to work on changing that. The Black family needs a proper heir. I will not have that blood traitor former son of mine inheriting everything and letting the family die out."

Regulus nodded solemnly, and Freya could see he was fighting a smile. "Of course, Father. We would like to be married before the end of the break."

Freya jumped slightly, startled by the suddenly extremely close wedding date. Regulus and Walburga walked over to the table, where Kreacher was placing plates of hot food on the table across from where Walburga sat. Regulus sat by his father, who sat at the head of the table, with Freya on his other side. Orion asked, "So, Freya, what house are you in at Hogwarts?"

Freya answered quickly, "I'm in Gryffindor, actually."

Orion immediately frowned, and Regulus rushed to remedy the situation. "She's not a Gryffindor like Sirius is, though. She's smart and cunning, and as loyal a pureblood as any. While not a Death Eater herself, she is quite proud of me for having become one so early in life and supportive of all of the Dark Lord's plans for the wizarding world. I personally believe the only reason she got placed in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin is the courage she has shown in coming forward as proper pureblood out of a family of blood traitors that take in the likes of Sirius."

Orion nodded, contemplating, then Walburga said, "Well, that sounds like something that can be forgiven if she lives up to proper pureblood standards. If the wedding is going to only be a week away, though, then perhaps we should move her into Grimmauld Place as soon as possible."

Regulus nodded. "Freya will be gathering her things from the Potter house following breakfast and bringing them here to move into one of the guest bedrooms until we are married next week."

Orion nodded. "Excellent," he declared. "Regulus, I expect that while Freya is out, you will begin making preparations for the wedding, such as selecting groomsmen and such. Freya and your mother can handle the rest, once Freya has returned."

Freya nodded as Regulus answered obediently, "Of course, Father."

* * *

Freya flooed into her home, holding her breath when she found James, Sirius, and Lily all sitting on the sofa, staring at her as though they had been waiting there for hours. James jumped up and tackled her in as tight a hug as he could manage. "Where the bloody hell have you been?" James exclaimed.

Lily added, "We've been really worried about you, Freya. You disappeared without a trace."

Freya wriggled out of James's arms. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you," Freya mumbled.

Sirius was suddenly out of his chair and across the room, grabbing her left hand. "What is this?" he demanded, gray eyes flashing with anger. "What the bloody hell is this?"

Freya tried to pull her hand away, but Sirius would have none of it. Angling her hand, Sirius showed James the diamond ring that accessorized her hand. James glared at her as he demanded, "Freya, what the hell have you done?"

Lily asked, "What is it, Sirius?"

Sirius answered angrily, "It looks like a bloody engagement ring."

James repeated, "Freya, what the bloody hell have you done? Where have you been? When did you sneak out of here?"

Freya finally managed to yank her hand away from Sirius's grasp, and she answered softly, "I slipped out last night when everyone else was asleep."

"To go get engaged?" James said in disbelief.

"No," Freya answered quickly as she pushed past the two men, heading up the stairs to her bedroom, the other three following closely behind her. "I mean, I wasn't planning on… He just sort of asked out of nowhere, and now I'm getting married sometime next week."

"What?" James shouted at the top of his lungs. "Next week? What the bloody hell do you mean you're getting married next week? Who is it?"

Freya cowered from James's anger as she reached the door of her room. "R – Regulus Black," she said under her breath.

James murmured angrily, "Say that one more time?" as he towered over her.

Freya opened the door to her room and slipped inside, followed by her brother, her brother's best friend, and her sister-in-law. A little louder, Freya said shyly, "Regulus Black."

She waved her wand, and her belongings began flying into her trunk as Sirius yelled deafeningly at her, "What the bloody hell is the matter with you? Since when are you even dating my little brother? Are you stupid, Freya? He's a bloody Death Eater; how could you possibly agree to marry him? He will chew you up and spit you out. He will ruin you!"

Freya turned on Sirius angrily, "He is not like that! He'd never hurt me."

"Your friends sent me an owl this morning, Freya," James said. "They seem to believe that you Imperiused them into taking back past letters they'd sent me, telling me that you were depressed and withdrawn, and that they suspected Regulus had something to do with it. They said they were shocked when the spell wore off this morning and realized what had happened. What the bloody hell did you do to Diana and Charlotte, and what the bloody hell is Black doing to you? Has he put you under the Imperius Curse or something?"

Freya flinched at her brother's angry words. "He most definitely has not cursed me," she insisted. "I'm fine, really. We've been dating since the first week of last summer."

"Why don't I remember the letters Diana and Charlotte wrote me that you forced them to take back?" James demanded.

Freya mumbled, "Because yesterday morning I erased everything involving me and Regulus from all of your memories."

Sirius yelled, "You did _what?_ "

"I put Memory Charms on you, James, Lily, and Remus after you gits tricked me into drinking Veritaserum and forced me to tell you everything about me and Regulus."

"Why the hell would you do that?" James asked, venom tingeing his voice.

"Because it was dangerous for you guys to know," Freya screamed back. "If you knew and Regulus found out, there's no telling what he would have done to protect us! If word had gotten out about us before we knew what was going to happen, and one of the other Death Eaters had found out and told Voldemort, it might have gotten us both killed. I was protecting myself and the man I love, and don't you _dare_ tell me I'm wrong."

"But you _are_ wrong, Freya," Lily said soothingly. "We would protect you. We don't want to see you get hurt; you should know by now that we'd do anything to keep you safe, no matter who found out that you were dating Regulus Black."

"That's not the point. If I had told you from the start, you all would've done everything possible to keep me from ever seeing him again. I love him, and he loves me," Freya insisted.

James begged, his voice cracking under the strain of trying not to cry at the thought of losing his baby sister to Voldemort, "Please, Freya, don't do this. Don't become a Death Eater. Don't even marry a Death Eater. Just stay away from Black, please; he's dangerous. He's changing you inside; he's dragging you into dark magic and that's not like you one bit. You never believed any of that blood purity shit that Black is all into, why would you want to get involved with a man like that?"

Freya slammed the lid of her trunk shut just after her things finished piling into the trunk. Freya called out, "Kreacher!"

The house elf appeared between Freya and James. Kreacher answered, "Yes, Miss Freya?"

"Kreacher!" Sirius exclaimed. "What the bloody hell are you doing answering Freya's calls?"

"Master Sirius," Kreacher sneered with a slight bow. "Master Orion has asked Kreacher to answer and obey all summons and commands from Miss Freya Potter. Kreacher obeys Miss Freya as though she were Master Regulus."

Sirius growled at the house elf, "Kreacher, I order you to leave the Potter house and never come back, no matter what."

Freya countered, "Kreacher, Sirius does not tell you what to do; I do. Take this trunk back to 12 Grimmauld Place immediately, and tell Regulus I should arrive within ten minutes."

"Of course, Miss Freya," Kreacher said with a low bow. The house elf disapparated, taking Freya's trunk along with him.

James moaned, "Freya, what has he done to you? You've been depressed, withdrawn, you apparently haven't been answering my owls for weeks according to Diana and Charlotte, and now you're cursing people and marrying a Death Eater? What is going on, Freya?"

Freya brushed past him angrily, sick of having the same argument over again. "I love him, James; isn't that reason enough?"

James shook his head, running down the stairs after his sister, Sirius and Lily in tow. "So what if you love him, Freya? He's a Death Eater, and he's never going to change. That should be reason enough to stay away from him, no matter how much you love him," James shouted. James grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her to a stop in front of the fireplace. "I can't let you marry him, Freya," James said softly.

Freya spun around, pointing her wand in James's face. "James Potter, you will do no such thing," she hissed. "That goes for Lily and the other Marauders, too. I love you all, but I love Regulus, so I will not let anyone ruin this for me, got it?"

James nodded, and Freya saw a single tear escape from her brother's eye. Freya felt tears building in her own eyes, as well. "I love you so much, baby sis," James mumbled. "Please, don't do this. Don't betray us like this. We're your family."

Freya lowered her wand, then threw her arms around her brother, hugging him as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry, James," Freya whispered. "I love you too, but I'm still going to marry him." With that, Freya slipped out of James's arms and into the fireplace, flooing out to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Hey, everybody! Please leave lots of reviews! Reviews are my lifeblood! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites I've gotten so far.


	5. Chapter 5

**December 1978**

Freya stumbled out of the Floo into 12 Grimmauld Place, where Kreacher appeared to be reorganizing the pantry. Upon her arrival, the house elf turned to Freya and said, "Kreacher has been asked to tell Miss Freya that Master Regulus awaits your arrival in sitting room on the first floor. Mistress Walburga will join you there shortly."

Freya nodded, still a little angry and numb over her family's reaction. "Thank you, Kreacher," she said quietly. Freya made her way up the stairs, and found the sitting room easily enough. Regulus sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, looking up as he heard her enter the room. Seeing the tears threatening to spill from his fiancée's eyes, Regulus stood and walked over to her, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. Freya leaned against his body, burying her face in his shoulder. "It wasn't any better the second time," she mumbled. "They're furious. They hate you; they want to keep us apart."

Regulus smoothed her hair, shushing her gently. "I'm sorry," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I know they're your family, but you do know that you don't have to invite them to the wedding, right? You don't have to ever see them again at all if you don't want to."

Freya shook her head. "Absolutely not. They're being complete jackasses now, but I'm hoping once they get used to the idea, they'll be willing to realize that nothing's really changed."

Regulus frowned slightly. "Are you sure?"

Freya answered softly, "Yes. I definitely want them at the wedding."

"I hope this means you two are working on a guest list," Walburga said, sweeping into the room. "Because I have the invitations right here, ready to be stuffed in envelopes." The woman waved her wand, conjuring an armchair to match the sofa alongside the fireplace and the coffee table. She laid out invitations and envelopes on the coffee table; the envelopes were black, and the invitations were red and white. "I hope you don't mind, Miss Potter, but I've taken the liberty of selecting the wedding colors already. Black, red, and green, seemed appropriate given the circumstances, as well as the approach of Christmas Day."

Freya nodded quickly as Regulus pulled away from her, wiping her eyes. The two settled onto the couch together, and began addressing and stuffing the black envelopes. After half an hour at it, Freya asked Regulus softly, "So who did you decide on for the groomsmen?"

Regulus shrugged. "Barty is my best man, and Rodolphus LeStrange and Lucius Malfoy are the other two groomsmen."

Walburga asked, "Who are you going to have as your maid of honor and bridesmaids?"

Freya shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet."

Regulus said encouragingly, "You should think about it soon, you have to know by the time we mail these out."

Freya nodded. Walburga stood up, saying, "I think I have something blue you can borrow, Miss Potter. Let me go check. I'll be back."

"Of course, Mrs. Black. Thank you," Freya said softly as Walburga left the room. Once she was gone, she whispered to Regulus, "I always pictured Diana would be my maid of honor, and Charlotte and Lily my bridesmaids. But now… I mean, Charlotte and Lily are both Muggle-borns, I get the feeling that your parents wouldn't approve."

Regulus nodded, contemplating. After a moment, he answered in a low voice, "You could get away with having Lily as a bridesmaid because she's your sister-in-law, but I don't think it's a good idea. Considering how much they all reject the idea of you marrying me, I get the feeling you'll be lucky if Lily and James even attend the wedding. Charlotte is an altogether bad idea; my parents will be very upset if there's a mudblood in the wedding for no good reason. As for Diana, at least she's halfblood, so you could have her as a bridesmaid, although I'm not sure my family would approve of her as your choice of maid of honor." He paused, thinking. "Then again… do it. Ask her to be maid of honor, then have my cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa as bridesmaids. It matches up fairly well with my groomsmen, and you've not exactly grown up in Slytherin being friends with all the purebloods, so I think they can forgive you for your one Gryffindor halfblood friend."

Freya nodded slowly. "Ok. Thank you, Regulus."

Walburga returned with a loud exclamation. "Oh, Miss Potter! This isn't what I was searching for, but this is far more perfect." Walburga held out a silver chain with a large, teardrop shaped sapphire pendant for Freya to take. "Orion gave that to me years and years ago, but I hardly ever wear it. I think it'd be perfect for the wedding."

Freya took the necklace, handling it delicately. "It's absolutely beautiful," Freya said breathlessly. "You're right; it's perfect."

Regulus smiled as he watched his fiancée and mother interact. "Thank you, Mum," he said softly.

Walburga smiled broadly at her son. "You're very welcome," the older woman said.

* * *

Late that afternoon, Walburga, Regulus, and Freya were walking out of a flower shop in Diagon Alley when a large snowy owl swooped down and landed on Freya's shoulder. "Aridel, what are you doing here?" Freya asked the owl as it offered her the envelope clutched in its claws.

Regulus grinned at the girl whose hand he held. "Who's owl is this one, Freya?" he asked cheerily. The couple had been receiving RSVPs to the wedding by owl all afternoon, and had seen more owls than they could count, let alone keep track to whom all of them belonged.

Freya smiled slightly as she took the envelope. As suspected, it was another RSVP, but this one was far more surprising than the others. "It's Lily Potter's owl," Freya said in a soft voice.

Regulus raised a curious eyebrow as Freya opened the envelope and pulled out the RSVP. She read it over, and her eyes lit up. Freya exclaimed, "Oh, Regulus! They're coming! All of them, they're coming. Lily wrote that she and James, Mum and Dad, Sirius, Remus, and Peter would all be there."

Launching herself into his arms, Regulus caught Freya and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around and hugging her tightly before setting her down on the ground again. Freya felt a wave of shock wash over her as Regulus suddenly whispered in her ear, "Try not to seem so happy about it. Excitement over blood traitors, halfbloods, and mudbloods attending our wedding is hardly the best way to win over my family's affection, or to keep it."

Freya's face fell as she stumbled a few steps back from her fiancé as he let go of her waist. "Of course," she mumbled. "I don't know what I was thinking."

* * *

December 23 arrived with surprising speed. Freya shook her head as Bellatrix helped her into the lace and bead strapless ball gown that was her wedding dress and zipped up the back for her. Freya took a slow, deep breath, and Diana's face appeared in the mirror. The flaming red empire dress that Diana wore contrasted beautifully with the pine green dresses Bellatrix and Narcissa donned. Diana smiled slightly at Freya, ignoring the two Slytherin women in the room, as she said, "You look absolutely beautiful, Freya."

Bellatrix leaned in closer to Freya, a wicked grin on her face, as she added, "Oh, yes, Freya, absolutely stunning. Your wedding night will be amazing tonight; Regulus won't be able to resist making perfect little pureblood babies with you."

Freya blushed furiously, and when Bellatrix looked away from the mirror, Diana made a face at Freya in it. Freya laughed softly as she noticed Narcissa hiding a smile from her sister. There was a knock on the door to Freya's bedroom in Grimmauld Place, and Narcissa checked to see who it was. Opening the door, Narcissa said with a soft smile, "Freya, I do believe you have visitors whom you will be very happy to see."

Turning away from the mirror, Freya nearly squealed with delight when she saw her parents and brother walking into the room. Diana said with as much authority as she could muster to the older women, "I think Freya wants a few minutes alone with her family."

Bellatrix sneered at James, but the two Slytherins left the room without a word. Diana followed them out as Fleamont and Euphemia Potter hugged their daughter. Dorea exclaimed, "I can't believe my baby girl is getting married!"

Fleamont added, a bit more gruffly, "Neither can I. Why is it that a week ago, we didn't even know that you were dating this boy, and now we're attending your wedding?"

Looking down, shame on her face, Freya answered quietly, "Regulus and I didn't tell anyone about our relationship. We didn't know how well things would go between us, and with him a Slytherin and me a Gryffindor, we were afraid of starting feuds, so…"

Euphemia laughed as she hugged Freya again. "Sweetheart, are you forgetting that I was a Slytherin when I was at Hogwarts? Dad here was a Gryffindor too. I wish you'd remembered that, sweetheart. We would have never discouraged you from being happy simply because the man you loved was a Slytherin."

"Well…" James began, but let the sentence die in his throat after a sharp look from his mother.

Freya smiled happily at Euphemia's words. "You're right, Mum. I'm sorry for keeping it secret so long."

Fleamont let out a heavy sigh. "I hardly can say I look forward to giving my daughter away to a man I barely know, but tell me this: does this Regulus Black make you happy? Do you love him?"

Freya nodded quickly. "Dad, I love him more than anything in the world."

She noticed James visibly tense at her words, his hands clutching into fists, but ignored it as Fleamont pulled Freya into his arms and, kissing the top of her head, replied with tears in his eyes, "Then your mother and I will bless this marriage, and I will walk you down the aisle."

Blinking back the tears in her eyes, Freya whispered, "Thank you, Daddy."

James cleared his throat, standing awkwardly with his hands now shoved into the pockets of his dress robes. "Umm, Mum, Dad? Can I talk to Freya alone for a few minutes?"

Euphemia smiled at her son as Fleamont released Freya from his arms. "Of course, Jamie," Euphemia said cheerily.

Freya laughed loudly as James scrunched up his face. "Mum, you know I hate that nickname," James protested.

Euphemia laughed along with her daughter while Fleamont shook his head with a wide smile. Euphemia ruffled James's hair as she teased, "Yes, I know, but it suits you so nicely."

James couldn't help the smile on his face as Euphemia and Fleamont left the room. As the siblings' eyes met, discomfort settled in the air between the two. Freya looked away from James, staring down at the floor. "James, umm…"

Suddenly, Freya felt arms wrap around her tightly, and she threw hers around James's waist in return, tears slipping out of her eyes. James mumbled, "Baby sis, I'm so sorry. I know you probably erased most of the worse things I've said about Regulus and you from my memory, but I'm still so very sorry. Please, don't hate me."

Freya let out a short laugh, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I could never hate you, James. You're my big brother; you're always just looking out for me. I love you," she said back through the happy tears.

James rubbed Freya's back soothingly as she continued to shed tears. "I'm not the only one who's sorry, by the way. Sirius, Lily, Remus — they all sent their apologies. We understand that you love Regulus; we really do. We just can't understand why that's enough to make you marry a Death Eater. We're worried you'll end up getting hurt."

Freya replied, "I know he's a Death Eater, but I love him so much. I'm never going to become one myself."

James frowned. "What about the Order of the Phoenix? If you're married to a Death Eater then you can't fight Voldemort with the rest of us like you always said you wanted to."

Freya laughed softly. "James, I'm still planning on becoming an Auror. Just because I can't join Dumbledore's little resistance group doesn't mean I can't still do what's right."

James smiled at that, letting out a relieved sigh. "Good! I have been so worried about you, Freya. I couldn't bear the thought of you getting involved in the Dark Arts. Just… Just promise me that Black will be good to you. Please, promise me that if you ever don't feel happy or safe or anything remotely like that, you'll come to me and Lily, or Sirius or whoever. Just please, don't be afraid to come to us if you ever feel like you need help or protection, ok?"

Freya nodded. "Ok."

* * *

Freya and Fleamont followed the bridal party down the aisle, the music ending just as the pair reached Regulus and the Ministry of Magic employee, Luke George, who was conducting the ceremony. Freya glanced over at Regulus, who looked as though he could possibly burst with happiness. Luke began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of Freya Danielle Potter and Regulus Arcturus Black II in holy matrimony. This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together before the Elements to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two people. It is wonderful to have family and friends here to join us today. The bride and groom would like to thank their guests for being here, and would like you to know that each of you were invited here on this day because you have played an integral part in their intertwining lives. At this time I'd like to perform the Blessing of the Hands." Turning to Freya and Regulus, Luke asked, "Will you please join hands with your beloved?"

Freya and Regulus took each other's hands, and Regulus mouthed to her, "I love you."

Freya smiled, then mimed the same back. Luke continued, "These are the hands of your partner, young and strong and full of love, holding your hands as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will hold you and comfort you in grief and uncertainty. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and joy. These are the hands that will hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength. And these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch. In the time that Regulus and Freya have spent together, they've built the sturdy foundation for a lifelong relationship. After a great deal of thoughtful consideration, they have decided to bind themselves to one another for the rest of their lives. May you all remember and cherish this sacred ceremony, for on this day, with love, we will forever bind Regulus and Freya together." Luke paused, then asked, "Who gives this bride today?"

Fleamont stepped forward, holding back tears and smiling at the same time. "I do, the bride's father," he said. Placing his hands over the bride and groom's joined hands, Fleamont blessed their marriage quickly before going and sitting down between his wife and his son.

Freya beamed at Regulus as Luke continued, "Marriage is a sacred ceremony. Today we observe the union of these two people with the respect the occasion warrants. What we honor with reverence, however, we also celebrate with great joy! For married life — a shared life — is a tremendous blessing. Now, as Regulus and Freya embark on this journey together, they will be able to nurture a love that makes each of them better versions of themselves. Marriage is, indeed, the perfect garden from which to sow and harvest personal growth." Turning his attention back to the couple as they fought not to laugh, the wedding conductor continued, "Regulus and Freya, learn to work together, to laugh together, and to love together. Don't get caught up in worldly things that will draw you apart. Instead, focus on your shared devotion and turn inward. As your relationship strengthens you will find that you come to share a remarkable love; a love that is both abundantly given and freely accepted. The joy you'll find as you pursue your shared lives will fuel you to face head-on the challenges you'll encounter on this Earth. On your journeys together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. The love you share must be guarded and cherished, it is your most valuable treasure."

Regulus squeezed Freya's hands lightly, winking at her, as Luke said, "Regulus and Freya, the sacred vows that you make to one another today present you with the opportunity to express your love in your own words. I would at this time invite you to publically declare these vows. Regulus, you may begin."

Regulus pronounced, "I, Regulus Arcturus Black II, take you, Freya Danielle Potter, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life, until death do us part. This is my solemn vow."

Luke nodded and turned to the bride. "Freya, you may now take your promise."

Freya took a deep breath, laughed softly, then vowed, "I, Freya Danielle Potter, take you, Regulus Arcturus Black II, for my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life, until death do us part. This is my solemn vow."

Luke asked, "Freya and Regulus, please face one another. Under the fold of the Elements, Freya, do you take Regulus to be your lawfully wedded husband? By making this commitment, you are joining in the sacred covenant of marriage. Do you promise to honor him in love, to be sensitive to his needs, to comfort him in difficulty, and to put your full and complete trust in him, so long as you both shall live?"

Freya nodded, struggling not to cry, as she said, "I do."

Turning to Regulus, Luke asked again, "Under the fold of the Elements, Regulus, do you take Freya to be your lawfully wedded wife? By making this commitment, you are joining in the covenant of marriage. Do you promise to honor her in love, to be sensitive to her needs, to comfort her in difficulty, and to put your full and complete trust in her, so long as you both shall live?"

Regulus said proudly, "I do."

Luke nodded. "Very well. To commemorate this union, you may now exchange rings. The circle formed by each ring symbolizes your eternal love and commitment to one another. Let these rings remind you always of that love, and of the promises you have made here on this day. Will each of you please place the ring on your loved ones hand?"

Sliding the gold band on Regulus's ring finger, Freya repeated after Luke, "I, Freya, give you, Regulus, this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. With this ring, I thee wed."

Regulus, also sliding a gold band onto Freya's finger in front of her engagement ring, said likewise, "I, Regulus, give you, Freya, this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment. With this ring, I thee wed."

Luke smiled. "By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce you, Freya and Regulus as wife and husband, lawfully wedded before the Elements. Regulus, you may now kiss the bride, forever sealing your union." Regulus smirked at Freya as she wiped tears off her cheeks, then quickly pulled her to him, kissing her deeply before releasing her again. Luke declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Regulus Black."

Recessional music played, and the newlyweds turned to the crowd, about to return up the aisle. Freya spotted her friends and family all sitting in the same row, and while most of them at least feigned happiness for her wedding day, Freya couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the sorrowful look in Sirius's eyes.

* * *

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

**December 1978**

Christmas morning, Freya woke up cuddled up against Regulus's side in his bed, both of them stark naked. As the light of dawn illuminated Regulus's face, Freya couldn't help but smile at her sleeping husband. Carefully extricating herself from Regulus's arms, she got out of bed as silently as she could in order not to wake him up. She dressed quickly in warm clothes and a fleece-lined red cloak, leaving Regulus a note on the nightstand so that he could join her later, not willing to wake him after the late night of love-making they'd shared. Slipping quietly down to the fireplace in the basement, Freya flooed over to the Potter house. As she stepped out of the fireplace into the living room of what had until very recently been her home, Freya stifled a laugh when she found James asleep on the couch in front of the Christmas tree. The seventh year grinned mischievously as she crept over to where her brother lay fast asleep, then suddenly jumped on top of his stomach, laughing and shouting, "Merry Christmas, Jamie!"

James woke up with a start, yelping slightly at the weight of his sister on his torso. As he woke up and realized that Freya was bouncing on top of him, he grabbed hold of her waist and started tickling her. Freya shrieked with laughter as her brother attacked her ribs. She heard someone bounding down the stairs as James demanded as he held in laughter of his own, "Do you give up yet, silly little girl?"

Freya giggled as she exclaimed, "Yes! Yes, I give; you win. Jamie, please, stop!"

James let out an evil laugh. "Apologize for calling me Jamie," he insisted as Freya heard soft laughter on the other side of the couch from whoever had come downstairs.

It took a couple more minutes of tickling before Freya caved to her brother's demands. "All right, all right, I'm sorry; I'll never call you Jamie again."

James laughed and ceased his attack. As her laughter died down, Freya noticed Sirius standing behind the couch, a wide grin on his face. Pulling Freya off James and over the back of the couch, Sirius pulled Freya into a tight hug, her feet not touching the floor. Sirius planted a rough kiss on the spot where her jaw met her neck, then whispered, "Merry Christmas, Freya."

A shiver ran down Freya's spine as Sirius set her on her feet, the skin where Sirius's breath touched her tingling. Freya swallowed hard, then replied softly, "Merry Christmas, Sirius."

James said excitedly, "What are you doing here, baby sis? I figured you'd still be off somewhere on the mainland doing the whole honeymoon thing with Regulus."

Sirius glowered at the floor at the mention of his brother. Freya smiled at her brother and answered, "We're not going anywhere for our honeymoon yet actually. With it being so close to Christmas, we're staying at Grimmauld Place so we can still be with family for the holidays."

James nodded. "Well, the others will all be up soon. The whole family is here, and Remus and Peter are upstairs too, so the whole gang should be making their way downstairs soon."

By midmorning, Charlus, Dorea, Lily, Remus, and Peter had all gathered with the other three around the Christmas tree, eating breakfast and opening gifts. Freya had just opened her gift from James — an extensive book on defensive magic from Flourish and Blotts — when the fireplace changed from the usual roaring fire to giant green flames, a man appearing in the fireplace. Regulus stepped out of the fireplace, and Freya instantly felt the room tense. James and Sirius each had an arm thrown around her shoulders as the trio sat on the couch, and Freya could feel their hold shift from casual to protective. Regulus's eyes finally landed on her, and he seemed to breath a sigh of relief. Charlus stood up and greeted Regulus, offering him his hand, which Regulus quickly accepted. "Hello, Regulus. I see you've finally caught up with my little girl; she said you were still asleep when she left and in need of some rest. Did you sleep well?"

Regulus nodded, eyeing Freya curiously. "Yes, yes, I slept just fine. I'm afraid we can't stay, though. My parents have requested our presence for Christmas festivities. I do believe they'll be occupying our attention for the rest of the day."

Dorea answered understandingly, "Of course, Regulus. We understand, don't we?" James grumbled something under his breath that Freya couldn't quite understand, and Sirius glared at his little brother. "You two go enjoy your holiday, but first, Regulus, we have a present for you."

Regulus looked surprised, but took the gift wrapped in red paper anyway. Opening it, he found a broomstick compass inside the small package. Charlus said with a smile, "This way you can never get so lost that you can't find your way home to our little girl."

Regulus offered a small smile and said politely, "Thank you, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter."

Dorea insisted, "Oh no, please, call us Charlus and Dorea."

Regulus nodded and replied, "Of course. Well, Charlus, Dorea, as much as I hate to say it, but I have to steal Freya away for Christmas with my family. It was good to see all of you, and thank you for the compass."

Dorea replied as Freya stood up slowly, "It's fine, Regulus; we understand. Please feel free to come over anytime to visit. We'd love to see you both."

Regulus smiled. "Thank you, Dorea. Come on, Freya; let's go." Sirius grabbed Freya's hand as she started to retrieve her cloak, his eyes pleading for her to stay. She smiled at him and gently pulled her hand free, grabbing her cloak from the hat stand by the fireplace and walking over to Regulus, taking his hand. Regulus said goodbye for them both, then led her to floo back to Grimmauld Place. Freya smiled at her husband as the two stepped out of the fireplace, only to recoil in shock at the sudden pain of a hard slap across her face. She stared at Regulus, eyes wide with surprise and fear as he said harshly, "What the bloody hell were you thinking? I had no idea you were planning on going to your parents' house today. That was incredibly stupid of you! If my parents or any of the other Death Eaters had found out that either of us had been in that place full of blood traitors and mudbloods today on friendly terms, it would have gotten us both tortured or killed. _Never_ do that again. We're already on shaky ground with the Dark Lord because of our sudden marriage and your membership in Gryffindor, the last thing we need is a holiday with scumsuckers like Sirius and James working against us too."

Freya felt the sting of tears in her eyes as she tenderly rubbed at the sore spot on her cheek. Still in a state of disbelief. Freya whispered, "I'm sorry, Regulus."

Regulus's eyes softened, and he gently pulled Freya to his chest, hugging her and planting a sweet kiss on top of her head. "It's ok; nothing seems to have come of it. My parents aren't even here today, so I don't think there's a way for anyone to find out we were ever gone. Just promise me that you'll never do it again, please?"

Tears escaped down her cheeks as Freya buried her face in Regulus's chest. "I promise," she mumbled.

Regulus smoothed her auburn hair lovingly as he replied softly, "Thank you, Freya. I'm sorry for losing my temper, darling. Is your cheek ok?"

Freya shrugged. "It hurts," she mumbled quietly.

Regulus sat her down at the table in the basement room they stood in, examining her face where he had hit her. Already, a dark purple bruise had began to blossom on Freya's skin. Regulus frowned at the bruise forming on his wife's face as he said sorrowfully, "I'm sorry, Freya. I panicked and overreacted. I'm sorry for hitting you; it was just plain stupid."

Freya answered softly, "It's ok. You're right; it was dangerous and stupid of me."

Furrowing his brow, Regulus muttered, "Still, hitting you like that, it was stupid too. I love you too much to be treating you like that."

Freya flinched as Regulus put slightly too much pressure on her bruise, pain shooting through her cheekbone. Freya whispered, "It's ok, really. I love you too much not to forgive you."

Regulus let a small smile cross his face. "Thank you," he said quietly.

* * *

 **January 1979**

Freya boarded the Hogwarts Express hand in hand with Regulus, who floated her trunk along behind them as he tugged along his own. As the newlyweds searched for a compartment to sit in, Freya was surprised when she was tackled in a hug by Diana. As Diana let her go, she saw Charlotte standing behind her; the Muggle-born seemed sad. Diana exclaimed, "Freya, it's so good to see you! We've missed you. How was your break after the wedding?"

Regulus signaled Freya to hurry along by squeezing her hand. Freya nodded at him, then said, "I'm sorry, Diana. I'm afraid I'll have to tell you about it in the common room later. We're supposed to spend the train ride with some of Regulus's friends." Turning her attention to Charlotte, Freya said, "I'll see you later too, ok?"

Charlotte said bitterly, "Sure, whatever."

Regulus tugged Freya on down the train until he found a compartment where several Slytherins were gathered. Entering the room, Regulus said, "I'm sure you all remember my wife Freya from our wedding." All eyes turned to the couple, the attention making Freya fidget nervously. "Freya, you remember Barty, of course. The rest are Reid Avery, Alecto Carrow, Edgar Crabbe, Simon Mulciber, and Zane Travers."

Alecto leaned forward, eyeing Freya suspiciously. "Yes, I remember the wedding. It was a bit sudden, wasn't it? Those of us closest to Regulus didn't even know he was the least bit interested in you," she said easily, though there was a wicked grin on her face.

Regulus snapped, "That's enough, Carrow. Unless you're wanting the Dark Lord to hear that you're discouraging a pureblood from showing her loyalties to the cause on the pathetic grounds that she's a Gryffindor?"

Alecto sat back, looking stunned. "I never said anything about…"

Regulus cut her off. "Don't act stupid, Carrow. It's plain to see that you're trying, rather pathetically I might add, to intimidate my wife, and seeing as I'm the only one here with the honor of having the Dark Mark already, I seriously doubt anyone here would dare to contradict my word. I would accept that Freya is one of us and leave her alone if I were you."

Alecto crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, making Barty laugh beside her. Turning his eyes to Freya, Barty winked at her and said welcomingly, "It's good to see you again, Freya. How was the honeymoon?"

Freya blushed as she sat down between Barty and Regulus. Zane asked, "Oh yes, are you two pregnant yet? Never too soon to start bringing more purebloods into the world. After all, nothing would please the Dark Lord more."

Regulus chuckled softly. "No, Zane, we're not having little pureblood babies yet, but we'll get there. When it happens, it happens, and that's all there is to it. Don't think that doesn't mean we aren't trying, though," Regulus said with a wink at his wife. Freya blushed furiously, and the rest of the train ride was spent easily enough with games of exploding snap and exchange of holiday stories.

* * *

Freya trudged up to the Fat Lady after the return to school feast, dreading the coming confrontation with Diana and Charlotte. Over the break, Diana didn't once mention Freya putting her and Charlotte under the Imperius Curse or marrying a suspected Death Eater, but Freya knew she couldn't avoid the fight forever. Giving the painting the password, she stepped into the Gryffindor common room, and not seeing her two best friends anywhere, she headed up to the dorm room. Stepping into the room, she found Diana and Charlotte sitting together on Freya's bed, waiting for her in the otherwise empty room. Charlotte instantly turned on Freya and snapped, "How could you do this to us? To me? First you Imperius us into lying to your brother and forgetting you're in trouble, then you go and get married out of the blue, and I'm not even allowed to come? I thought I was going to be one of your bridesmaids, Freya! What, would Black not let you invite me because I'm a Muggle-born?"

Freya said defensively, "As a matter of fact, yes, that's exactly what happened! I was protecting you by not inviting you. Having you there would have just made you a target. You would've had Death Eaters all over you wanting to torture and murder you by the end of the ceremony, and not to mention torture Regulus and me for having you there in the first place."

"Lily got to go, and she's a Muggle-born," Charlotte shouted.

"Lily is married to my pureblood brother," Freya yelled in return. "No one wanted her there either but me. They merely tolerated her because of her marriage to James. Hell, James and Sirius were barely even tolerated by the Slytherins!"

Diana added, "She's telling the truth about that. I saw James nearly get into a duel with Crouch, Jr. towards the end of the reception."

Freya frowned, not having known about any sort of disagreement between her brother and the best man at the wedding. She'd have to remember to ask James about that later. Charlotte argued, "I don't care! It isn't fair; I've been one of your best friends since first year and don't even get to go to your wedding?"

"I'm sorry," Freya said sorrowfully as she felt tears build in her eyes. "I wanted you there so badly, Charlotte, I really did. I wish I could've done something to change it, but I simply couldn't. I'm so very sorry."

Charlotte snapped, "Well, that's just not good enough this time, Freya. Maybe it would've been, but after the way you cursed us with an Unforgiveable Curse? How could you do that to us?"

Freya growled, "I was protecting you two! How else was I supposed to keep you safe? You were running around asking dangerous questions about Regulus and me, questions that we couldn't answer yet. If the other Slytherins or the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord had found out about us back then…"

Diana said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, the _Dark Lord_? Since when do you not call Voldemort by his name, let alone call him the bloody Dark Lord?"

Charlotte baited, "Maybe her precious new little Death Eater hubby's speech patterns are rubbing off on her. Before we know it, she won't just be using the Imperius curse on us and not inviting us places, she'll be sporting the Dark Mark and calling us all mudbloods and scumsuckers."

Freya retorted, "That is not the least bit true, and you know it! Nothing has changed."

Charlotte sneered. "Oh sure," Charlotte said with a humorless laugh. "You just can't be seen with your best friends in public anymore. I get it. Tell me something; are you still planning on becoming an Auror? How do you think that sweet little Death Eater of yours will react when he finds out you're going to become a dark wizard catcher? Do you really think those stupid pureblood elitists are going to let you work anywhere at all, let alone as an Auror?"

Freya pulled out her wand and pointed it at Charlotte. "Just shut up, Charlotte," Freya hissed.

Diana stepped in between the two arguing girls. "Freya, put the wand down," she urged gently.

Freya huffed. "Forget it," she said angrily. "I'm going to the library."

"Isn't the library closed today?" Charlotte said curiously.

"What do you care?" Freya shouted as she left the room. Pushing open the portrait hole, Freya made sure no one was watching her, then turned into her fox form. Jumping out of the common room and into the corridor, she made her way down to the dungeons and sat in front of the spot in the wall she knew was the entrance to the Slytherin common room until a prefect came along to enter the common room.

Finally, sixth year prefect Barty Crouch, Jr. came along and opened the entrance to the common room, allowing Freya to slip into Slytherin house behind him. Following him into the boys dormitories, she stuck her head into each room until she saw Regulus sitting on one of the beds, bare-chested in his pajama pants. Smiling the way foxes do, Freya ran into the room and jumped up on the bed beside him as Regulus joked with his roommates over a large bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. "What are you doing here, little fellow?" Regulus said, picking up Freya and checking her underside. "My mistake, little girl."

Freya licked Regulus's face as the boys around him laughed. Reid Avery said, "I think you've got yourself a new pet, Regulus."

Regulus laughed and allowed Freya to curl up in his lap until the boys all finally went to bed. Freya curled up on her husband's chest as he laid down, the two of them easily falling asleep. The sounds of the lake gently beating against the walls of the dormitory took getting used to for Freya, but she soon fell asleep, happier than she would have been sleeping in Gryffindor Tower that night.


	7. Chapter 7

**January 1979**

Freya awoke to the sensation of her ears being scratched. Letting out something of a purring howl, Freya yawned and realized that she was still in fox form, having slept on Regulus's chest in the Slytherin dormitory. She opened her eyes, meeting Regulus's gaze, seeing his big smile. Freya smiled back as best she could as a fox, and Regulus murmured gently, "Hello, little girl. I hate to make you move, but I have to get ready for my potions class."

Freya stood up on his chest and stretched lazily, then made a playful, guttural little chattering noise before licking Regulus's face. Regulus and another seventh year boy laughed. Freya turned her head at the laughter and saw Zane Travers chuckling at her fox antics. Zane ribbed, "Regulus, I think that little vixen there likes you quite a bit."

Regulus smiled and scratched Freya's head again. Freya leaned into his hand as Regulus mused, "She does, doesn't she? If she's going to be sticking around here, I might just keep her as a pet."

Zane shook his head with a grin. "Up to you, mate," Zane said with a short laugh as he towel dried his wet, dark hair.

Freya jumped off Regulus, landing on the floor. She glanced around the room a few minutes, then smiled up at Regulus as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. A moment later, she darted out of the dormitories to the emerald green common room under the lake. Freya followed a pair of third year Slytherin girls out into the dungeons. Dashing up to the seventh floor, Freya made sure she was completely alone before returning to human form. Freya gave the Fat Lady the password and stepped into Gryffindor, running up the stairs to her dorm room for clean clothes before trying to make it to breakfast in the Great Hall with time to eat before Potions class. Grabbing her red and gold school uniform from her trunk, Freya changed clothes as Charlotte returned to the bedroom from doing her makeup in the bathroom. Charlotte frowned at Freya. "Where were you? You never came back to bed after our fight last night."

Freya said shortly, "Common room."

Looking confused, Charlotte said, "But Diana checked the common room for you early this morning and said you weren't down there…"

"I went out, ok? I don't have to stay in Gryffindor tower all the bloody time, you know," Freya snapped.

Charlotte slammed a book into her bag, then picked the bag up and tossed it carelessly over her shoulder. "Fine. I'm just trying to show you that I care about you even when we fight, that I'm concerned about your well-being, but if you are going to just be a snooty little pureblood bitch about the whole thing, then that's just bloody fine with me," Charlotte retorted.

Freya gaped open-mouthed at Charlotte as the Muggle-born stormed out of the room. After a few minutes of sitting on her bed with an angry look on her face, Freya sighed, throwing her Gryffindor jumper over her dress shirt and rushing out of the tower with her bag. Running down to the Great Hall and taking every shortcut she knew, Freya slid into the seat beside Regulus at the Slytherin table with ten minutes to spare before her Potions class. Freya felt acutely aware of the stares directed at her from every table — even the professors where eyeing her curiously, though trying to be more discreet about it than the students were. Dumbledore's knowing gaze settled on her, and his fathomless blue eyes made her stomach twist. Suddenly, breakfast didn't seem quite so appetizing to Freya anymore. Regulus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side, his brow furrowing in confusion as he asked, "Hey, baby, are you all right?"

Freya nodded as she grabbed piece of toast, slathering it with butter. "Yeah, just fine," she mumbled as she pressed on the toast too hard with the butter knife, nearly ripping the piece of toast in half.

Alecto Carrow gave Freya a sarcastic smile as she asked, her voice sickly-sweet, "What's the matter, Freya? Your precious little Gryffindors won't let you sit with them?"

The knife officially pushed through to the other side of the piece of toast, cutting a hole in the piece of bread. Freya took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then said, strangely calm, "Perhaps, Alecto, I'd simply prefer to eat my breakfast with my loving husband than a bunch of ridiculous blood traitors and mudbloods."

Alecto raised her eyebrows in surprise as the Slytherin boys surrounding the two girls snickered around them. Regulus kissed the top of Freya's head and said proudly, "I knew you'd make a perfect pureblood wife. You'd have made a perfect Slytherin. I'm so proud of my little lion; look at you roar."

Freya dropped the destroyed piece of toast in favor of a new slice. Ignoring the praise from the Slytherins for her quick retort, Freya buttered the second piece of toast more gently, standing up to take it with her to eat as she walked to the Potions classroom. She nudged Regulus's shoulder and muttered, "Come on; we're going to be late for Potions."

Regulus grabbed his things and followed after Freya as she quickly left the Great Hall, munching on her toast and ignoring the stares and whispers that followed after the two of them. Regulus caught up with his wife as she entered the dungeons and grabbed her elbow, slowing her down enough that he could whisper in her ear, "Are you sure you're ok? I mean, I'm proud of your response to Alecto back there, but it didn't really sound like something you'd say."

Freya sighed as they approached the Potions classroom. "Charlotte and I had a big fight last night, and I guess it's still going on this morning," she replied faintly.

Regulus frowned, pulling her to a stop just outside the classroom and giving her a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, Freya," he mumbled in her ear. "Let me know if there's any way I can make it better for you, ok?" Freya nodded quickly against his chest, the sound of Regulus's steady heartbeat slowly calming her frayed nerves. "That reminds me," Regulus added softly as he guided her to their shared Potions table. "Just ignore Alecto and her stupid comments. Alecto's just upset because she's been vying for my attentions, trying to get me to propose to her since first year, then she found out that all of a sudden the pureblood man she had her cap set for is married and off the market, and to a Gryffindor no less. Just don't let her make you feel unworthy or anything like that. You're perfect."

Freya and Regulus sat down as the class began, and Freya whispered back softly, "Ok."

* * *

Regulus and Freya walked hand in hand around the Black Lake through the snow that afternoon. Freya stood as close to Regulus as she could as they walked, her eyes downcast as she related the details of her fight with Charlotte to Regulus. Regulus frowned at the turn of events, then said thoughtfully, "Well, it's probably for the best. I mean, being so close to a mudblood wasn't very good for your reputation in the first place."

Freya rolled her eyes. "I don't care about my bloody reputation right now, Regulus. I care much more about the fact that I suddenly don't have one of my best friends in the whole world to turn to anymore."

Regulus shrugged. "You'll have new best friends to turn to soon enough. More appropriate ones who will better understand what your life is like."

Freya sneered, "You mean pureblood friends, right? Like that matters to me right now."

Regulus said snippily, "It should mean a lot to you right now, actually." He sighed, then continued, "The night before we returned to Hogwarts, I slipped away in the middle of the night for a meeting with the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord was there, and…"

"Wait a minute," Freya said, not taking another step, forcing Regulus to stop in his own tracks and turn to face her. "What do you mean you had a meeting with the Dark Lord that night? We made love for hours that night; how could you have possibly had time to sneak off for that without me noticing?"

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes tightly, then said impatiently, "You fell asleep between rounds, remember? It might not have felt like it to you, but it was three hours between when you fell asleep and I left for the meeting."

"That doesn't make sense though," Freya insisted. "One minute I wasn't the least bit sleepy, and the next I was waking up to the feeling of you kissing me…" Freya trailed off for a moment, then gasped, pulling her hand out of Regulus's grasp. "Did you drug me?" she demanded angrily. "You did, didn't you? You put sleeping draught in my pumpkin juice; that's the only thing that makes sense! What were you thinking? Why did you do that?"

Regulus groaned. "Freya, please, don't do this. Don't question my every decision. If I do something, it's to protect you, to keep you safe."

"How would I have been in any danger just from knowing that you were going to go meet those stupid Death Eaters?" Freya snapped.

"Hey!" Regulus said, struggling not to shout. "Have you forgotten that I am one of those 'stupid Death Eaters'? I know you don't agree with everything we stand for, but is a little respect too much to ask for?"

Freya's hazel eyes met Regulus's angry gray ones, and she looked away, down at the snow, suddenly feeling very low and foolish. "You're right; I'm sorry," Freya mumbled.

Regulus's face softened, and he pulled her in for a tight hug. "It's ok, darling," Regulus murmured against her auburn hair. "I'm sorry for getting so angry, and for putting you under a sleeping potion. I should've just trusted you with the truth. I just didn't want you to sit up all night worrying about me and not get any sleep before we headed back to school."

Freya said softly, "It's ok. I trust you, Regulus."

"Thank you," Regulus said faintly, and a couple moments later, Freya felt wetness in her hair from Regulus's silent tears. "Umm, the Dark Lord obviously heard about our wedding. He wasn't too pleased that I didn't confirm our engagement with him, but seeing as you're a true pureblood from one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, he decided to forgive my oversight and blessed our marriage anyway. He isn't concerned about the fact that you are a Gryffindor, but he is concerned about your ties to so many mudbloods and blood traitors. He thinks you may not be loyal to the cause when put to the test." Freya shuddered at the thought of what sort of terrors Voldemort might be about to put the two of them through. "He's even heard rumors that you're planning on becoming an Auror. Is that true?"

Freya felt herself shrink slightly in Regulus's arms, and she said, her mouth dry, "Yes, that's the plan."

Regulus sighed. "I was afraid of that," he lamented. "Listen, the Dark Lord is willing to allow you to become an Auror." Freya pulled back, staring Regulus in the face as she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Of course, there is a catch."

"Of course there is."

"The Dark Lord says that if you're going to be an Auror, you're going to have to be of a little more use to him than as a simple wife to one of his Death Eaters. You still wouldn't have to take the Dark Mark, because that would give you away as one of us, but you would most definitely have no choice but to be a spy for the Dark Lord inside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Freya's eyes grew large and round, disbelief written all over her face. "I'd have to _what_?" she exclaimed loudly. "How could anyone possibly believe that I would be a spy for anybody on anything? It's all I can do to keep a surprise birthday party a secret! The fact that our relationship stayed a secret as long as it did was a bloody miracle. How the hell could the Dark Lord ask me to be a freaking _spy_?"

Regulus suddenly covered her mouth with his hand and hissed, "Shut up, Freya! You're being far too loud; what, are you trying to expose our connection to the Dark Lord to the whole bloody world?"

Freya glared at her husband angrily. After she was silent for a moment, he removed his hand from her mouth, and she said venomously, "I'm not going to be anybody's bloody spy, and that's all there is to it. I'm not a Death Eater, so there's no way in hell I'm going to do any sort of work for the damn Dark Lord, no matter what he says."

Freya yanked away from Regulus and stomped off back in the direction of the castle. Regulus sighed and called after her, "If you don't do, you can't become an Auror at all. I won't allow you to put yourself or me in the kind of danger you'd be placing us in by becoming an Auror without doing it."

Freya turned around and shouted back, "Well, that's just bloody fine, then! I'm sure the whole bloody wizarding Britain is better off without me if I have to do that!"

Freya stormed off to the castle, racing up to Gryffindor tower, where she changed into drier, warmer clothes, including Regulus's Slytherin seeker jumper from the previous school year, the silver letters spelling "Black" standing out from the back of the emerald green jumper. As furious as she was with Regulus, her last name was Black now instead of Potter, and since she was no longer on the Quidditch team this year, wearing her old Gryffindor jumper with "Potter" scrawled across the back somehow felt wrong. She grabbed her Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts textbooks and rushed down to grab a seat by the fireplace in the nearly abandoned common room and began to study. Several hours later, the common room had been occupied by quite a few more people, and before long curfew arrived and Freya found herself surrounded by Charlotte and Diana. Diana said softly, "Hey, Freya. How are you?" as the two girls sat down on the couch on either side of her, making room for themselves by rearranging her books and parchments.

Freya sighed, then dragged a hand over her face. "I'm ok," she said softly as she tightened her helplessly messy ponytail. "Just studying for exams."

Charlotte looked at her curiously. "The N.E.W.T.s are nearly six months away, and you've never been particularly studious. Everything just comes naturally to you."

Freya snipped, "Well, maybe my mind is just a little too frazzled these days to retain all of this academic bullshit as easily as it usually does."

Diana placed a hand on Freya's shoulder, watching her carefully with a mix of pity and concern that made Freya's stomach turn. "Freya, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Why would there be something I wanted to talk about? You lot are all the same; all you bloody Gryffindors act like I've got some terminal disease or something these days. You two, James, Remus, Lily…"

"Sirius?" Diana offered the name easily enough, but the name caused every muscle in Freya's body to tense.

Charlotte sighed and threw an arm around Freya's shoulders. "Look, I know you're married to Regulus now, although we're both still confused why you went and married some Slytherin git, but that's not the point. All of us 'bloody Gryffindors' as you so elegantly put it are worried about you. You seem withdrawn, depressed. You're such an outgoing, fun-loving girl. You were the highlight of every Gryffindor party, the star keeper of our Quidditch team, and now you don't come to the parties or play on our Quidditch team at all and wear your husband's Slytherin Quidditch jumper. You're constantly on edge and you scream bloody murder at us every time we try to talk to you about what's been going on with you and how you're doing."

"Freya," Diana said quietly. "We're worried that Regulus is hurting you. Don't try to deny it. That makeup job you did to your face yesterday did a pretty decent job of covering that fading bruise on your face, but that doesn't mean that neither of us noticed it today after all that makeup had smudged." Freya unconsciously touched the spot on her cheek where the fading yellow remainders of the bruise resided on her skin. "Listen to me," Diana demanded, and Freya finally met her gaze. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you can still get out of this. You can leave Regulus. Just get a divorce, plain and simple. Leave him and move back home with James and Lily and your parents. They'll take care of you. And with Sirius head over heels in love with you, you can be damn well sure too that he won't let anyone touch you either."

"Please, Freya," Charlotte begged, her voice betraying unnoticed, unshed tears in her eyes. "We love you. None of us want to see you get hurt or end up in Azkaban for being married to a supporter of You-Know-Who. Please, _please_ , leave Regulus and all his stupid Slytherin friends behind and just come home."

Freya banished her schoolbooks away to her bed in her dormitory with a wave of her wand, then sighed. "It's not that easy, girls," she muttered. "For starters, I'd have to actually want to leave Regulus, and I don't. I refuse to believe that Sirius is in love with me; he probably just wants me around for casual sex again, and as a married woman, I'm obliged to deny him that privilege. I'm not going to end up in Azkaban, and the bruise on my face isn't from Regulus, it's from his bloody house elf accidentally whacking me in the face with a pan while he was cooking." Freya swallowed hard at the end of telling such a bold-faced lie to her best friends, but she refused to back down now. "I love Regulus very very much, and that is enough for me to never want to leave him. Good night."

Freya stood and quickly began crossing the room to the portrait hole. Diana called after her, "Where are you going? It's after curfew."

Freya answered simply, "Out."

* * *

Once again, Freya found herself inside Slytherin house in fox form. Regulus had officially named her fox alter ego "Vixen," and she found that she was surprisingly the most content when she was curled up in her husband's lap as a fox. Currently, her front half was better situated on his legs and her rump sat on the couch beside him. She read along with him as he studied for Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and Regulus seemed to not notice that the fox he had adopted was studying every bit as hard as he was. Barty Crouch, Jr. sat in the armchair beside Regulus's couch lazily, flicking through his potions book without any purpose. Finally, the younger Slytherin sighed loudly and flung the book down in his lap, exclaiming, "Regulus, I want to get out of here! All these stupid classes and theoretical mumbo jumbo, I want to do something real. I want to join the Dark Lord's inner circle."

Regulus hushed Barty quickly and harshly. "What are you trying to do, Barty? Expose us? If Dumbledore or one of the professors catches wind of Death Eater talk inside the castle we'll be expelled and sent to Azkaban for sure."

Barty nodded apologetically, and Regulus sat back and resumed reading his textbook. After another moment of shifting her eyes back and forth between the two boys, Freya continued to study as well. Freya jumped when Barty suddenly jumped over to the couch and sat down hard on her bushy red and white tail. Freya let out a howl that sounded more like some small creature being strangled than a dog's howl, then turned and bared her teeth at Barty. "All right, all right, Vixen," Barty said, lifting his rear off her tail enough to free Freya, who quickly scrambled over Regulus's lap to lay curled up on Regulus's right leg instead, pressed against the couch's armrest. "How is your wife dealing with the whole pureblood/Death Eater issue? I mean, she handled herself pretty well against Carrow this morning, but that doesn't mean she's doing as well behind closed doors."

Regulus sighed, shutting the textbook and giving up all hopes of getting any studying done that night. "Freya is a strong, beautiful pureblood woman, and my mother has managed to explain most of her duties as the soon-to-be matriarch of the House of Black fairly well. Freya didn't grow up in a proper pureblood lifestyle though, so she's struggling to remember that she can't even be so much as friendly with the mudbloods and blood traitors she grew up with," Regulus said tiredly. "I'm doing my best to help her remember how stupid she's being when she's still friends with those dumb Gryffindor mudbloods, but she's stubborn and doesn't like to be told that she's wrong."

Barty nodded. "Do you think she'll make it? I mean, if the Dark Lord is wanting her to funnel information to us from inside the Ministry, she's going to be a lot smarter and a lot tougher than that."

Regulus shook his head. "Actually, she'd have to become even better friends with the mudbloods and scumsuckers if she became a spy. It's if she decides not to become an Auror and a spy, that's when she'll have to get smart and look out for herself for once in her life and cut those Muggle-loving scum out of her life for good. I don't know what she'll do, but I hope she becomes a spy, for all of our sakes," Regulus whispered softly.

Freya yawned in Regulus's lap, but as his words sank in, she realized how true it was that she was treading dangerous ground. Soon, one day all too soon, she would have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, and Freya couldn't imagine any of her options being pleasant.

* * *

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WildestDreams72394


	8. Chapter 8

**April 1979**

Freya continued to find life as Regulus's pet fox much more agreeable than her life as a Hogwarts student, but things settled into an easier routine as the weeks passed. The stares and whispers every time she sat down with Regulus and his friends at the Slytherin table ceased; her Gryffindor friends no longer badgered her to tell them what was going on and let them "help her." James sent fewer and fewer owls as time passed, and Sirius sent none at all since the wedding. She ended up spending every night as a fox in Slytherin as Regulus's fox, Vixen, and during the day she spent the majority of her time in the library with Regulus and Barty who, when they buckled down, made surprisingly good study partners. Freya tired easily of the constant droll in Regulus's dorm about the Dark Lord and the superiority of purebloods, but it did make her feel a little better after fights with Charlotte occasionally. Currently, Freya was hiding in an abandoned classroom, waiting for her prey to come by.

At long last, Freya reached out and grabbed Regulus by the arm as he walked past her hiding spot, pulling him into the room. She shoved him hard against the wall and pressed her body up against his, even as Regulus aimed his wand at her, ready to defend himself if necessary. When he recognized his wife and what she was doing, Regulus laughed. Smirking at her, he asked with a husky voice, "What are you up to, Freya, darling?"

Freya dragged her hands slowly down his chest. "You haven't touched me hardly in months," she whispered lustfully. "Ever since that stupid fight about becoming an Auror. I'm sick of it."

Regulus sighed. "I've not been withholding sex on purpose, you know," he said softly. "We're both always studying, and whenever we're not studying, I can't find you anywhere."

Freya brushed her lips teasingly against Regulus's mouth. "I know; I've been avoiding you. At first it was because I was so angry with you for asking me to be a spy; then once the anger passed, I didn't want to be with you because I was so depressed."

Regulus held her face in his hands, concern filling his eyes. "What do you mean, you've been depressed? Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me? You know I would've done anything to help you feel better."

Freya wouldn't meet his gaze. "This time you couldn't have done anything to help. It's this whole war that's been making me depressed. I love you so much, but not being able to talk to or be with my friends and family because we're supposed to hate each other, it hurts. I've felt so alone; you know I'm not exactly close with any of your friends or family."

Regulus offered her a small smile. "Yeah, they can be difficult to tolerate at times. You'll get used to them though."

Freya shook her head. "No, I won't. I don't want to be around them any more than I have to, but I know that means that after graduation in a couple months, I'll be more alone than ever, isolated in that house with you and your parents and Kreacher."

Regulus frowned. "What are you saying, Freya?"

Freya took a steadying deep breath, then said hesitantly, "I'm saying that you better start reminding me every damn day how much you love me, and how much I love you, because without that, I don't think I'll be able to handle being the spy you want me to be."

Regulus's eyes grew wide. "Are you saying you're going to become an Auror?" Freya nodded as she slowly tangled her fingers in Regulus's dark hair. "Are you sure about this? It's a huge risk that you're taking, and it's not going to be easy."

Freya answered quickly, "Yes, I'm sure. I love you, Regulus, but I can't live like this anymore, never talking to anyone but you and Barty. I don't just want to do this; I need to do this. Besides, this will just strengthen your position with the Dark Lord, right? It just means we'll be that much safer in the long run, no matter who wins the war, right?"

"Right," Regulus said, a proud smile appearing on his face.

Freya tightened her grip on his hair and pulled his face to her until her lips brushed his as she spoke. "Then you'd better take me now before I change my mind," she whispered. Regulus didn't need any more encouragement; his hands immediately gripped her body roughly and pulled her hips against his as his lips crashed into hers.

* * *

 **June 1979**

Graduation night was easy for Freya and Regulus. The Potters and their friends all came to support Freya. Regulus was surprisingly at ease mingling with Freya's parents, brother, and sister-in-law, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Lily, Remus, Sirius, and Peter all eyed the married couple suspiciously throughout the celebration at the Three Broomsticks, but said nothing. James laughed with Regulus at the bar at something the Slytherin had said, slapping him on the back of the shoulder good-naturedly, as Freya sat at a table wedged between Sirius and Remus, smiling away as she watched the two of them. Sirius leaned in and whispered in her ear, "What are the two of you up to, Freya? I don't think I've ever seen Regulus be this friendly with non-Slytherins."

Freya offered Sirius an innocent smile. "Sirius, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Regulus is just making an effort to be nice to my family, and you, Remus, and Peter are part of that family."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her as the music changed to some Latin number, clearly not believing a word Freya said. Before Sirius could voice his doubts, however, James dashed across the room and pulled Freya to her feet. "Come dance with me, baby sis," James insisted. Freya laughed as he pulled her to the dance floor that Rosmerta's mum had created at her daughter's request special for the night. James pulled his sister close and started doing the salsa, and Freya followed easily. Learning to dance well had been one of the only pureblood traditions that their mum had insisted on in the Potter household, but it was one that the two siblings had been enthusiastic about. As they danced, James murmured in her ear, "I'm impressed with Regulus's friendly behavior tonight. You could almost believe that he doesn't despise every single one of us with every fiber of his being."

Freya laughed softly at her brother's words. "He is pretty convincing, isn't he?" she whispered back.

James smiled at Freya. "I hope that you're just as convincing around him and his Slytherins. I hope you realize how dangerous this game you're playing with the Death Eaters is," James said, growing serious, though no one could ever tell that from his face. To the rest of the room, it was as though Freya and James were still laughing and having fun dancing with each other.

Freya answered, "Trust me, I know. I'm terrified about what's going to happen in the coming weeks."

James said softly, "It'll be ok. Just remember that if it gets to be too much, you can always come stay with Mum and Dad, or me and Lily. You know we'll always protect you."

Freya grinned, shaking her head slightly. "That's why I came to you with this, remember? I trust you, James. I probably should have turned to you about all of this a year ago when Regulus and I first started dating, but it's too late for all of that now." The two were silent for a moment, then Freya asked, "You'll keep this secret, right? I don't want anyone to know where you're getting this information from. Regulus is being so friendly to support my position with the Aurors, to keep suspicion from being cast on me when the Aurors start getting screwed over, but he doesn't know about our deal. Sabotaging the Aurors while helping the Order at the same time is going to be nearly impossible without getting caught by one side or the other. I don't want to end up in Azkaban or dead because one of us slipped up."

James had to fight not to frown at that. "I haven't even told Lily about the letter you sent me back in April. I burned it as soon as I finished reading it. I don't care how many Unforgivable Curses I get put under, no one will ever find out that you're feeding me information about the Death Eaters and their movements. I swear," he said firmly.

"Solemnly swear?" Freya teased, making James laugh softly and shake his head as the dance ended.

"Yes, I solemnly swear," James replied as Sirius came up behind Freya and wrapped his arms around her, swaying to the music as the next song started.

Sirius murmured in her ear, sending shivers down her spine, "Dance with me?" Freya nodded hesitantly as he pulled her flush against him for the tango. Sirius asked, "So, I gather that James is in on something that I don't have a clue about?"

Freya glanced over Sirius's shoulder at where James stood having an easy conversation with Regulus, as though the conversation the two siblings had just shared had never happened. "Yes, he is," she said under her breath.

Sirius heard her words anyway. "Why are the two of you keeping secrets from the rest of us all of a sudden?" Sirius demanded, his lips brushing the skin of her jaw as he said it, making her shudder as she remembered what it was like to have him take her. Sirius continued, "I've gotten used to you shutting us out and keeping secrets from us, but James? This isn't like him at all; James has always told me everything. What have you gotten him involved in?"

Freya leaned into Sirius's lead, dragging her foot sensually up his leg before hooking her knee around his hip, their lips mere millimeters apart. She answered, her voice tantalizing him, "Nothing that's any of your concern, Sirius."

Sirius ran a hand up her now mostly exposed thigh as his stormy gray eyes stared into her hazel eyes. "Don't keep pushing me away," Sirius whispered. "I know you've married him already, but that doesn't change what there is between us. You used to trust me every bit as much, if not more, than James."

Freya didn't break eye contact as he gently pushed her back off him to stand on both feet, and the skin of her thigh still tingled from Sirius's touch. "Sirius, I love him," she replied mildly. "We had sex a few times, but you had no feelings for me. If you're trying to tell me that you have feelings for me now, you've waited for too long."

"You could leave him," Sirius pointed out, his hold on her waist tight. "You'd be leaving behind Voldemort and his followers in the process; you can't tell me that the idea doesn't appeal to you."

Freya bit her lip thoughtfully, then after a few short moments said, "Leaving that world behind does appeal to me, but if that ever happens, I won't be leaving alone."

"Regulus would never leave his precious little Slytherin pals," Sirius said scornfully.

Freya hissed, "You don't know him as well as you think you do, Sirius Black. That's why I'm not sharing my secrets with you. You might be good at keep secrets, but something like this…" She shook her head. "You're too reckless, too confrontational. You'd try to barge into the situation like a bull in a china shop, and if you tried to fight this I'm going to end up dead."

Sirius frowned. Freya turned her head to follow his gaze, and his eyes landed on Regulus, who was standing alone at the bar ordering another drink. Freya suddenly felt Sirius's hand close around her wrist, and he tugged her toward the back of the pub, slipping around the bar, through the employees only door to the kitchen, and out the back door as the song ended. He pinned her to the back wall of the tavern and easily wrestled her wand from her hand before she could fire a spell at him. "What has he been doing to you?" Sirius demanded.

Freya's eyes grew wide, slightly fearful of Sirius's sudden temper. "What are you talking about?" Freya snapped. "Regulus hasn't done anything to me; why do always jump straight to that? Like he must've cursed me or fed me a love potion or something to get me to marry him? It can't just be the simple solution — that I love him?"

Sirius shook his head and slammed his hand angrily against the wall by her head. Freya flinched hard, startled by the movement and the loud noise it created. "Damn it, Freya," he growled roughly. "I mean it, what has he done, hmm? Come on, come on; talk to me! I already know that for a long time now he's been isolating you from your friends and family, forcing you to pull away from all of us. Even your own bloody parents have barely heard from you or seen you this past year, and they're the best people that I've ever known. You're losing that spark in your eyes; it's like the fire in you is dying, like he's draining all the life out of you. You're secretive and careful and sneaky, and those are things I never thought I'd see in you. I'll bet he's even hit you before, hasn't he?"

Freya's jaw dropped in surprise at Sirius's shockingly accurate accusations before she remembered herself. She shut her mouth quickly and shook her head hard. "No, Sirius, don't be stupid. Regulus would never…" she denied vehemently before he cut her off.

"No, _you_ don't be stupid, Freya," Sirius retorted. "Tell me the truth, right now. Has he been hitting you?"

Freya looked down at the ground, not willing to meet Sirius's angry gaze. "One time. Just one time," Freya whispered. "But he's sorry; he didn't mean it! He said it was stupid and that he should have never…"

"You're damn right he should have never done that!" Sirius said, perhaps a little too loudly. "I love you, Freya, but you're an idiot if you truly think it's never going to happen again or that it won't get worse."

"It won't; he promised," Freya argued.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how many times I've overheard my father promise that to my mother?" Sirius sneered. "It won't get any better, Freya. He's just going to keep hurting you, and it will get worse. Next thing you know, he'll be calling you nasty names every time you turn around and throwing Unforgivable Curses your way when he's angry, whether he's angry at you or not."

Freya reached up to slap Sirius across the face, but Sirius caught hold of her wrist and easily held her at bay. "He is nothing like your father," Freya said sharply.

Sirius yelled, "You don't know what he's like! You've barely met him; you stayed there a couple weeks over break. Just wait until you have to live there this summer; it won't be a pretty sight, I can promise you that. You've not seen the way Orion Black treats his wife and sons. It's not just me, you know; I just got the most of it because I pissed him off the most, but even Regulus got put under the Cruciatus Curse a few times when Orion was feeling particularly ferocious. Regulus learned how to handle a wife from our father, and what you're in for isn't pretty. I'm begging you; leave the bastard now before it's too late."

Freya cringed, pressing herself as close as she could to the wall. "No," Freya mumbled. "I'm sure everything you've said about your father being a monster is true, but you really don't know Regulus. He is such a good guy with a good heart. You've not seen the way he gets so torn up inside after… things. He goes sneaking out of the castle with his Slytherin friends and comes back and closes the curtains around his bed and cries for hours. I don't know what he does that causes that; he never tells me. But he just gets so very upset, and I just lay there with him for hours, trying to help. Nothing I do can help though; all I can do is remind him that someone still loves him no matter what he does. That's what he needs from you, you know. He needs to know that he's still your brother, that just because your mother blasted you off some stupid tapestry doesn't mean that you don't still love him."

Sirius scoffed. "You know damn well that whether or not I love my brother will make no difference at this point. Regulus has made his choice; he's a Death Eater now, isn't he? He's got his bloody mark?" Freya refused to answer; she glanced around at anything but Sirius's face. He nodded. "When did he get the mark, Freya?" he said, suddenly tender.

Freya sighed. "A long time ago. It doesn't matter, ok? He made a mistake. I think he's starting to regret it. I think he's beginning to want out."

"Well, you never took the mark, and I know you don't want to, so why are you getting involved in all of this? Just get out, Freya! While you still can, get out, please. You know nothing would make James happier." Fear flashed in Freya's eyes at the mention of her brother. Sirius gasped. "Oh, Merlin, James doesn't know that Regulus is abusing you, does he?"

"He's not abusing me!" Freya exclaimed heatedly.

"He _is_ abusing you, Freya!" Sirius shouted back.

"Who's abusing Freya?"

James's voice washed over Freya like a wave of cold water, and Freya shut her eyes, her mind protesting the whole situation. "This isn't happening," she said faintly to herself.

Sirius sighed. "Actually, it's about bloody time that this happened. Somebody has to help you get out of there."

James, furrowing his brow, repeated, "Who is abusing my sister, Sirius?"

Freya shook her head as Sirius answered loudly, "Regulus, who else? He's a bloody Death Eater; he has the Dark Mark. Freya's even admitted that he's hit her before! Next it'll be the Cruciatus Curse, you know. I've been through this mess with my family before; I know how this works. Let me guess, you've covered up whatever bruises he's left on you with a Disillusionment Spell, right?"

Freya fought back tears as she tangled her fingers in her hair and tugged at the roots in frustration, fighting the urge to curse Sirius. "No, no, no, no! I told you, Sirius; he hit me once — once! That's it! He freaked out afterwards. He said he was sorry, that it was stupid, that he didn't mean it! He swore he'd never lay a hand on me again, and he hasn't!"

James waved his wand at her, muttering under his breath. As James finished, Sirius immediately began checking every inch of her skin for bruises, but as the Disillusionment Spell wore off, large patches of blue and purple skin appeared on both sides of her neck. Sirius forced the shoulders of her sleeveless dress off her to reveal even more patches of bruises. Freya slapped Sirius's hands away angrily. James muttered, "That's it. Forget our plan. I'm just going to kill him."

Freya screamed, "Don't you dare, James! I don't care that Sirius has my wand right now; you lay one hand on him, and I swear, I will rip you into so many pieces that Lily can't even figure out how to put you back together!"

"I don't care what you do to me, Freya," James shouted back. "No one treats my little sister like this."

"James, you stupid git," Freya yelled hoarsely, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He hasn't hurt me! That one time was months and months ago…"

Sirius derided, "Yeah, I bet it did. Let me guess, he wasn't happy you visited us on Christmas because it made you two look bad to the other Death Eaters, am I right? He taught you a really good lesson after you left the Potters' house, didn't he? Probably left all sorts of bruises on that pretty face of yours, didn't he?"

"Shut up!" Freya cried, attempting to slap Sirius again, and once more he caught her hand easily, but this time he was more tender, holding her hand in his firmly enough to keep her from scratching his eyes out, while still entwining his fingers with hers and caressing the back of her hand with his thumb. He held her hand to his chest, and when she threatened him with her left hand instead, he did the same with her other hand. Freya sobbed as she mumbled, "One hit. One hard slap across the face for going behind his back and doing something so stupid. He was fearful and stupid, and he admits that. He's never going to do it again, and so far in six months he hasn't hurt me. These bruises aren't from Regulus hurting me, you stupid gits; they're just hickeys. I'm sure the two of you have heard of them before. You certainly left enough of them on me, Sirius, that you should recognize them."

James frowned. "Wait, Sirius has given you hickeys? Damn it! Nobody tells me fucking anything! When the hell did this happen?"

Freya sighed and allowed herself to lean against Sirius, her forehead resting on her brother-in-law's shoulder. "Right, I forgot that was one of the things I obliviated from your memory that one time," she mumbled.

Sirius said defensively, "Look, mate, I know I shouldn't have kept this secret from you and should've dated your sister properly, but we slept together a couple times that spring semester of seventh year. That's not the important thing right now, though. What matters is getting Freya away from my damn brother before he hurts her again."

"He's not going to hurt me again," Freya protested weakly, the fight slowly draining out of her.

James sighed. "Sirius, don't think this doesn't mean I'm not pissed as hell that you slept with my sister, but I'm choosing to ignore that for now. You're right; we can't let him hurt her again."

"Damn it, James, shut up," Freya moaned. "He's not going to hurt me; he loves me, and I love him. I'm not leaving him, and there's nothing you can do to make me."

Sirius and James looked at each other thoughtfully. "Maybe the Imperius Curse?" James suggested, barely loud enough for the other two to hear.

Sirius nodded slowly as Freya sprang back to life, screaming, "Don't you fucking dare!"

James said gently, "You're in such a bad situation, Freya, even if Regulus never hurts you again. What the Death Eaters are making you do…"

Freya gingerly stole her wand from Sirius's pocket as she said, "My plan to get around that will work, and you bloody well know it, James. Please, I'm begging you to trust me. Give my plan a chance. If things go wrong, then you can get me out, but the only way I'm ever leaving Regulus is if I'm dead. Do you understand that? I have no problem leaving the Death Eaters behind me, but if you try to force me to leave Regulus, then you'll have to kill me, get it?"

James sighed in defeat. Sirius shook his head. "No, I don't know what scheme you two have cooked up, but I can't leave you in that house just to be used as a punching bag. I can't," Sirius moaned.

Freya pointed her wand at Sirius's chest and said angrily, "Petrificus Totalus." Sirius froze in place, his eyes glaring angrily at Freya. "James, please, trust me," Freya begged.

James sighed, running a hand through his hair before pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Fine, fine, Freya. But at the first sign that Regulus is going to hurt you again or that the plan is failing, you're getting out of there, with or without Regulus."

* * *

Reviews are loved!


	9. Chapter 9

_**WARNING: Mentions/Implications of rape. Please no disparaging reviews about my story based a on single tragic event happening to a character.**_

 _ **NOTE: Rape is never, under any circumstances, ok.**_

* * *

 **July 1979**

Freya had easily been accepted in the Auror office as a trainee, considering she had received Outstandings in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions, and an Exceeds Expectations in Ancient Runes. While she was not a full-fledged Auror yet, and most likely wouldn't be for another year or two, she was still getting closer to being able to properly spy on the Aurors than normal. As wartime settled into wizarding Britain, the Aurors were in full-blown recruiting mode and turning trainees into Aurors faster than ever, shortening their usual training by at least a year, sometimes two. It turned out that Freya found herself partnered with Sirius, who had gone into Auror training a year before her and nearly finished his qualifications with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and would soon be a proper Auror in charge of training Freya. For now, the both of them were still under Alastor Moody's authority, and for Freya, that turned out to be a blessing, because that meant she'd most likely finish her training sooner than most recruits.

In her first month and a half in the Auror office, Freya hadn't been able to get her hands on much intelligence helpful to the Death Eaters, but she had managed to plant false information once, forging an order from the Minister and leaving it on the unattended desk of Auror Frank Longbottom. The forged order insisted that an anonymous tip had been left with the Minister's office that a Death Eater had been discovered in a Muggle neighborhood called Moodiesburn near Glasgow. Four Aurors and two Hit Wizards arrived in the neighborhood to discover that the tip was actually a set-up for an ambush. They would have all been murdered if things had gone according to the Death Eaters' plan; the Order suddenly appearing as the Death Eaters attacked was an unexpected twist. The Death Eaters had yet to puzzle together how the Order had caught on to their scheme. All the Order knew was that Dumbledore had a source who had provided the information. Instead of six dead witches and wizards that night, there had been one dead Hit Wizard and two severely injured, but captured, Death Eaters.

After the news had been received at the Auror Office that one of their own was dead, Freya had been distraught. She tried her hardest to hide it, but when Sirius had managed to pull her into a deserted corridor, just the two of them, she broke down. Freya fell into his arms, sobbing as he smoothed her hair and gently shushed her cries. He must've held her like that for an hour before she had finally managed to pull herself out of her guilt-ridden cry. Sirius continued to hold her for a bit longer after her shoulders had stopped shaking with her sobs, keeping her close in a tight embrace, before Freya finally pulled herself out of his arms. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm just not used to people I know dying."

Sirius nodded, gently trailing his fingers down her cheek. "It's ok, Freya," he said softly. "I don't know what Regulus is like about this sort of stuff, but you never have to hide how you feel about things around me. You can be real; you can always be honest with me."

Freya shook her head, taking slow, intentional steps backwards, away from Sirius. "No, Sirius. I can't. I'm sorry," she whispered, before retreating and running away.

* * *

A week later, Freya finally had more information about the Death Eaters to pass along to her brother. As she left the Ministry, she entered Muggle London, her robes transfigured into a black mini tutu, black leggings, combat boots, a Muggle band t-shirt, and a pair of black fingerless gloves. She walked a few blocks away and finally entered a small coffee shop off the beaten path. Sitting down at a small table, Freya waited for James to arrive in whatever disguise he'd be in this time. Instead, a few moments later she found herself sitting across from her husband. Regulus glowered at her. "Freya, what are you doing here?"

Freya swallowed hard and fought to keep her composure. "Having a drink of coffee. Is there a problem with that?" she asked, forcing her voice to sound relaxed.

Regulus raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that all? Who with?" he asked, his voice tight.

Freya furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? I'm here alone," she said, confused.

Regulus shook his head. "So you're not cheating on me then?" he asked accusingly.

Eyes growing wide in shock, Freya exclaimed, "I can't believe you would even think that of me, Regulus. Of course I'm not cheating on you."

"Well, you're clearly meeting _someone_ here," Regulus insisted. "As the man who loves you, I'm asking you to confide in me and tell me the truth about why you're here."

Freya hesitated, nearly spilling her every secret to those pleading grey eyes. She shook her head. "Regulus, I promise; you're just being paranoid." At that moment, Freya's eyes caught sight of James walking in the door of the café. One glance at his sister's table, and James knew things weren't right. James heard Freya say, "I'm here on Auror business, nothing more. Moody wants to test my skills at blending into a crowd of Muggles without sticking out as an Auror, or even as a witch. Clearly, if you managed to follow me here, I did a terrible job."

Freya cast one more casual glance towards the door, just in time to see James vanish out of it. Regulus shook his head. "You blend in perfectly," Regulus replied. "I can hardly distinguish my wife from a bloody Muggle, not that it makes me feel particularly good. I followed you here from the lobby of the Ministry, or I would've never found you."

Freya shrugged. "Well, there we go. I'm supposed to be able to vanish from the Ministry and blend into a crowd of Muggles so well that I can't be followed. Clearly, I fail. I'm sure Moody will be along any minute to tell me so himself."

Regulus frowned. "Perhaps. Freya, I need you to come home with me, now. We have some important matters to discuss, but we can't talk about it till we're home alone."

Freya cocked her head to one side, watching him carefully and observing the anguish in his eyes. "Is something wrong, Regulus?" she asked, concerned.

Regulus thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Freya, something is very definitely wrong. I need you to come home with me, right now."

Freya shook her head. "I can't; Moody will be along any moment, and when he gets here, if I'm not here, he'll kill me tomorrow at work. Regulus, please, just go home. I'll meet you there later."

Suddenly, Moody walked into the café, his magical eye spelled to look like a normal eye and in Muggle clothing, but still wearing his usual nice black trench coat that he wore to the Auror Office every day. He strode over to Freya and Regulus, growling, "Black, the outfit blends well, but clearly your subtlety in leaving the Ministry is seriously lacking if even your husband could follow you here."

Surprise flashed in Freya's eyes for the space of half a second, but she covered it easily by feigning embarrassment. She mumbled, refusing to look the older Auror in the eyes, "I'm terribly sorry, Moody. I agree full heartedly; I hadn't even realized he had been following me. I need to work on my stealth and observational skills. I'll do better on the next test."

Moody nodded. "You'd better; these are hard times we live in, we can't afford slip ups like this in the real war against the Death Eaters. If Regulus here had been a Death Eater, you'd have been dead long before I got here. Now, I think it's time we discussed some important matters regarding how your training will proceed from here." Turning to Regulus, Moody barked, "Can't you see your wife is on the job right now? She can't be sitting around having a cup of tea with you now, boy. She'll see you tonight; you'd best be heading home."

Regulus nodded as he stood up from the small round table. "Of course, Auror Moody. Freya, I'll see you for dinner?" The petite girl nodded, her auburn hair bouncing in frizzy curls around her head thanks to a spell Freya had placed on it for her Muggle disguise. "Very well then. Good to see you, Moody."

Moody simply nodded, huffing at Regulus as he left. He sat down in the seat Regulus had just vacated as Regulus exited the café, then asked Freya, "What have you gotten yourself into that your brother thought he had to come get me involved to keep you safe, girl?"

Freya's face drained of color, and she shook her head to focus herself. "Nothing, I think he was just trying to be helpful and took it too far. Regulus was just jealous; he got it in his head that I'm cheating on him when all that's really going on is that I'm meeting James here to plot a surprise birthday party for Regulus. He just has a tendency to overreact sometimes, and James tends to do the same thing. I'm sorry he dragged you down here," she lied as smoothly as she could under his knowing gaze.

Moody nodded slowly as James entered the café. "All right, then." Moody stood and walked toward the door, then stopped James for a moment a few feet from the table. Freya barely heard it, but Moody murmured to James, "Take care of that sister of yours, Potter. I don't know what you two are into, but she seems in over her head. You'd both best be careful."

James nodded, then Moody walked out the door and disappeared into the crowd. James sat down across from her. "I suppose we'll have to get better at this sneaking around business. Clearly we're not doing this right if Regulus found you," James said with distaste, a worried look on his face.

Freya nodded. "We can't meet in Muggle London like this anymore; it isn't safe. It's too easy to be spotted."

"Sirius's flat," James suggested quietly.

Freya shook her head. "We can't get him involved," she said firmly.

"We won't get him involved, Freya. We'll just meet at his place when he's not there."

"I don't like it," Freya mumbled, then sighed. "But fine, you win. For now. Wait until you hear what I've got to tell you, though. Hopefully, we'll be able to save those Muggles in time."

* * *

Just before dinnertime, Freya stepped out of the floo of her home at 12 Grimmauld Place with Regulus and his parents. She found Regulus sitting at the long table in the basement, head in his hands. When he looked up at her, Regulus looked as though he had been crying, his eyes were so red. Freya frowned. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Freya asked, concern filling her voice.

Regulus shook his head. "You lied to me earlier, Freya. You are cheating on me," he moaned, as though the very idea that Freya would betray him caused him pain.

Freya shook her head. "No, I didn't. I would never do that to you, Regulus. I love you," she insisted.

Regulus slid a photograph on the table so that it was within Freya's reach. "Explain this photo that Bellatrix showed me then."

Picking up the photo carefully, Freya saw Sirius holding her tightly to him in the abandoned corridor of the Auror Office, stroking her hair. She shook her head. "That's not what it looks like," Freya mumbled. "A Hit Wizard died that day trying to make an arrest in the ambush that I set up for the Death Eaters. I had to put on a show of being upset about losing one of my own. Sirius is my partner in my training; he was just trying to comfort me. I would never cheat on you, Regulus, and I especially wouldn't cheat on you with your own brother."

Regulus watched her face carefully, then let out a heavy sigh. "I believe you," he whispered. "But Bellatrix has already shown the photograph to the Dark Lord, and he believes her that you have been unfaithful to me with a blood traitor. He won't be satisfied until he knows that I've properly punished you for your transgression."

Freya stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Regulus, surely you don't mean…"

Regulus looked down at the wand in his hand as tears began to fall from his eyes again. "Mother and Bella are upstairs, waiting to hear your screams. If they don't hear them soon, Bella will come down here and do it herself. I can't let her do that to you, Freya. You have no idea how cruel she is. She won't just stop with the Cruciatus Curse, she'll make you bleed to within an inch of your life. I can't let her hurt you."

"So you're going to hurt me instead?" Freya demanded angrily, raising her voice.

Regulus's eyebrows shot up, and he quickly cast a silencing charm on her, taking away her voice. "Please, don't fight back. Don't argue with me, and don't let them hear you raise your voice to me. That's not how proper pureblood wives behave. They obey their husbands' every command. If Bella hears you talk back to me, it'll only make things worse."

Regulus returned her voice to her, and Freya hissed, "So I'm just supposed to sit back and take you torturing me like a good little pureblood wife, is that it?"

Regulus sighed as he stood up. "Yes, because if you don't, you'll be putting both of our lives at risk, because Bella is vicious. She's never liked you, and if I defend you from her like we both know I will, she'll kill you, then I'll kill her for even laying a hand on you, and then the Dark Lord will kill me. Please, I'm begging you, just one or two small Cruciatus Curses that are the least painful I can possibly make them, and then it's over and we can go upstairs and put silencing charms on our bedroom and you can scream at me how much you hate me and hit me and curse me and even bloody murder me if you want, but please, let me protect you now." Freya frowned, and was about to argue, but then she heard the sound of someone skipping down the stairs. Regulus shook his head then raised his wand. "Crucio!"

Freya fell to the floor with a bloodcurdling scream as every nerve ending in her body felt the pain of a million tiny hot knives stabbing deep into her skin. Freya writhed on the floor as she heard Bellatrix walk into the room, cackling madly in delight at Freya's pain. "I see the cheating whore you call a wife has finally returned to you," Bellatrix said with a sickening grin as Regulus released Freya from the Unforgivable Curse.

Freya spat at the older woman, "Well, perhaps if I wasn't under orders from the Dark Lord to ingratiate myself with all of the Aurors by any means necessary, there wouldn't be any need to loosen Sirius's secretive lips by any means necessary."

Regulus shuddered at the idea of Sirius ever touching Freya in the least little way. Raising his wand again, Regulus cast a curse over his wife again. "Crucio!" Freya whimpered as her back bent, raising her body up in the air before crashing back onto the floor, and cried out in pain as Bellatrix squealed with glee.

It wasn't long before Regulus freed Freya from the Unforgivable Curse. Bellatrix looked momentarily disappointed, before an evil gleam appeared in her eyes. "You know, Regulus, what you really should do is remind your little slut here what it's like to be with a real pureblood," Bellatrix practically purred.

Regulus froze. Freya continued to lay in the floor as she recovered from the Cruciatus Curse, painting, almost afraid to move, slowly growing angry at the way she was being treated. After a moment, Regulus stammered, "W-what are you tr-trying to suggest, Bella?"

Bellatrix rolled her eyes. "I had thought it would be painfully obvious exactly what I am intimating, my dear cousin." She circled up behind him and whispered in his ear, her voice nearing seductive, "Take her, Regulus. Right here, right now. Remind your little Gryffindor tramp how much better it is to be with a proper Slytherin pureblood than with whatever scumsuckers she's been sleeping around with."

Freya pushed her upper body off the floor, leaning back on her elbows and staring at Regulus, resentment shining in her eyes. Regulus hesitated before saying slowly, "Bella, I think she's been punished enough. I know for a fact that her attempts to ply information from my blood traitor brother with romantic advances did not get so physical as to warrant such actions."

Bellatrix let out a cold, heartless bark of a laugh that made Freya shiver. "The Dark Lord disagrees, Regulus. See, it's not up to you. This is the punishment the Dark Lord has chosen, and it must be done with me as a witness to report to him that it was executed correctly. If I do not tell him that I believe your punished her satisfactorily, then the Dark Lord will do it himself, and he will make it much, much slower and more painful. I'm sure you'd rather be the only man to lay a hand on your Gryffindor harlot ever again, but if you prefer for the Dark Lord to do it for you…"

"No," Regulus snarled, clenching his jaw. "Leave my wife alone, Bella," he continued, his voice low and threatening.

"Then do it," Bellatrix hissed. "Throw her around like a ragdoll, take her, and remind her that she belongs to you. Do not be gentle about it, either; we all know how the Dark Lord would frown upon tenderness."

Regulus's hands shook as he stared down at the steely figure of his wife. Even placed in the helpless position she was in, Freya wasn't afraid of her Death Eater husband or his family in that moment. Instead, Freya was furious that he was even entertaining the idea of hurting her in such a way, even if he considered this a form of protecting her, and Regulus could feel the anger radiating off her. It made him feel weak and powerless, and that feeling made him volatile and fierce; Freya could see it written all over her husband's face. Caving to Bellatrix's demands, Regulus grabbed Freya roughly by the upper arm, squeezing so hard it was sure to leave bruises, and slammed her against the stone wall of the basement. Freya stumbled and hit the wall with her shoulder, gasping in shock at the unexpected assault. Freya had known that Regulus most likely wouldn't stand up to Bellatrix, but she had been sure he'd worm his way out of the situation somehow. She had never expected her husband to actually do it. Regulus captured her lips harshly with his, biting her lower lip and leaving her lips swollen and bruised when he finally pulled away. As he pulled back, Freya whispered, the tears she was holding back finding their way into her voice, "You promised to never hurt me."

Regulus couldn't meet Freya's accusing eyes; instead he leaned down and bit her neck the least bit too hard, making Freya squeal with pain as her skin began to slowly leak dark red blood. Freya pushed with all her might against Regulus's chest as he kissed the affronted flesh of her neck, soothing the sting of the bite, but to no avail. Freya heard Bellatrix laughing maniacally and saw the delight she took in Freya's suffering written all over the older woman's face, and stopped fighting back. Freya shuddered violently, closing her eyes tightly against the horror of the reality in front of her as Regulus began to pull her shirt off and lick her ear simultaneously. Suddenly, she felt Regulus's breath on her ear and heard him faintly whisper, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Three hours of hell later, Freya found herself bruised and sore sitting in the corner of the bedroom she shared with Regulus on the floor, curled up on herself in her pajamas, looking anywhere but at her husband, who sat on the bed agonizing over what he had done to her. Growing sick of her silence, Regulus snapped, "Just say something to me, Freya! Tell me how horrible a monster I am, how you hate me and will hate me for the rest of your life, tell me you're leaving me and never coming back. Scream at me, hit me, curse me to within an inch of my life, but please, just do something besides just sit there!"

Freya choked on a sob, and Regulus instantly felt worse for being so harsh. Freya shook her head. "I don't hate you," she mumbled. "I'm pissed as hell, and I'm hurt, but I don't hate you." Freya sat silently crying for a few more minutes before continuing. "Regulus, I'm an animagus. I was the fox, Vixen, that slept in your bed every night in Slytherin last term. I came to you for comfort and safety when I felt alone or afraid or had fought with my family or friends. To have you do this to me…" she shook her head.

Regulus moaned, and it almost sounded as though he were dying. "I should've known it was you. Freya, I'm so incredibly sorry."

Freya stared at the floor. "You were right, Regulus. This person that you're letting the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters make you into, he's an absolute monster."

Freya stood up slowly, the bruises and soreness on her hips and thighs causing her a great deal of pain. Regulus's eyebrows raised an eyebrow at her sudden choice to relocate. "Where are you going?" he asked worriedly.

"Shower," Freya answered quietly. "Then I think I'm going to sleep in Sirius's old bedroom tonight. I don't think I can stay in here tonight."

Regulus caught her hand as she walked past him, holding her hand gingerly. "Please, don't do that, Freya. Please don't pull away from me. My parents will notice we're in separate bedrooms, darling, and that will not end well for either of us. I'm begging you, just stay in here with me tonight, please."

Freya nodded and said barely audibly, "Fine." Walking down the hall, Freya got in the shower and spent the next half hour in the water, sobbing as she leaned against the shower wall.

* * *

The next morning, Freya sat up slowly in the bed, as far away from Regulus as she possibly could be while still in the bed. Glancing over at Regulus, Freya saw him watching her with worried red eyes, as though he had been crying while she was asleep. He hesitantly reached out to her, attempting to place a gentle, loving hand on her arm, but when Freya flinched away from him, he let his hand fall to the bed, tears glistening in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he croaked.

Freya felt tears stinging her own eyes as she mumbled, "So you keep telling me."

Regulus sighed, running a hand through his frazzled hair, then reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a fizzy blue potion. Holding it out to Freya, he said softly, "Here, drink this, it'll help with the pain, make it easier for you to walk today after your sore muscles have tightened up overnight." Freya nodded, taking the potion from her husband and drinking it quickly. Regulus watched her for a moment, then asked, his voice full of concern, "How did you sleep?"

Freya tried to shrug, but the pain that shot through her shoulders at the slight movement made her moan and stop moving. "Ok," she murmured. "I think I slept a total of two hours off and on throughout the night. How about you?"

Regulus fidgeted his fingers nervously. "I barely slept at all. I brewed that potion in the basement while you were asleep. I think I maybe got in twenty minutes of sleep at some point, but I'm not sure."

Freya nodded slowly. "I don't want to go in to work today," she mumbled.

"People will notice if you don't; it will raise red flags," Regulus said nervously. "I know you're in a lot of pain, and I know it's my fault. I'm really sorry for that. You're going to have to go to work though."

Freya sighed heavily, getting up from the bed sluggishly and gingerly throwing clothes on, waving her wand to hide the large bruises on her skin. "Fine, Regulus. At least I'm getting out of this house for a few hours," she said grudgingly.

Regulus pushed himself up off the bed, then thought better of it and sat back down on the bed. "I've told you I'm sorry more times than I can count. What more do you want from me?"

Freya thought for a moment as she walked toward the door, then paused and answered, "Nothing, it's just… Nothing."

As she opened the door, Regulus called to Freya, "I love you."

Freya hesitated, then replied quietly, "I love you too."

* * *

Freya walked into the break room at the Auror office to retrieve her butterbeer. She felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder, and the shock of it rattled her to the bone. Pain shot through her body as fear filled her to the brim, and she spun around, wand in hand, and came face to face with a grinning Sirius Black. Sirius's face quickly fell at her reaction. "What's wrong, Freya?" he asked anxiously.

Freya shook her head. "Nothing, sorry," she mumbled. "I guess I'm just getting tense, being around Death Eaters all the time."

Sirius glanced around the room and made sure it was empty before placing a silencing charm on the room. Turning back to Freya, he demanded, his worry mixing with anger, "What did he do?" Freya didn't answer, simply shaking her head, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Sirius sighed and waved his wand, easily countering the spells that Freya was using to hide the evidence of the previous night. Angry red bite marks appeared on her neck and shoulders, some of them still not entirely scabbed over from where Regulus had made her bleed. A deep purple bruise appeared on the right side of her face, covering her eye and cheek, as though he had slapped her in the same place multiple times. Sirius tenderly, slowly pushed her robe off her shoulders, revealing more blue and purple bruising covering her entire left shoulder. Sirius shivered at the damage his little brother had done to the girl, and asked again, his voice tight, "What did he do?"

Tears slipped from Freya's eyes, and she blinked them away furiously. Sirius barely even touched her skin as he carefully wiped a couple of the stray tears away, biting his lip hard to keep himself from crying as well. Freya mumbled something under her breath, but Sirius couldn't understand her. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she repeated, slightly louder, "Bellatrix made him. Either he had to do it or the Dark Lord would have done it; he keeps telling me that he saved me from a much worse fate by doing what he did."

Sirius fought off a wave of nausea at the thought of the Dark Lord laying a hand on Freya. He took a moment to collect himself before he whispered gently, "Freya, you have to tell me what he did. Please."

Freya struggled for a while, trying to form the words her mind could barely process. "He – he r-raped me…" she said, hardly audible enough for Sirius to hear.

Sirius repressed the intense urge to hit something, opting instead to place his hands lightly on her shoulders. Freya shuddered at the contact but didn't pull away. When Freya glanced up into his eyes, Sirius saw nothing of the girl he knew in the hazel depths; there was nothing but pain and an unnamable numbness there. Sirius's intense grey eyes stared into hers for a moment, before he finally said, "James and I are getting you out of there. I can't let you go back to that."

Freya sighed, as though there was a repetitiveness to the conversation that made her dreary. She argued dispassionately, "Regulus won't let me leave. His friends, his Dark Lord, they'll never let me go. I'm in too deep, and they'll kill me before they'll let me walk away."

Sirius's eyes widened. "Please, tell me that you don't mean that you took the Dark Mark," Sirius begged.

Freya snorted delicately. "No, of course not. But I'm a Death Eaters wife, and I'm an Auror. Obviously, there must be something going on behind the scenes between us if I'm being allowed to be both."

Sirius gasped. "That's what you and James have been hiding from everyone the last couple months?" Freya nodded, and Sirius huffed. "Let me see if I'm getting this right. You're spying on the Auror Office for Voldemort, but you're turning around and giving Death Eater secrets to James, which he gives to Dumbledore, who gives them to the Order of the Phoenix? So, at this point, you're screwing over everybody."

Freya used what little strength she had to shrug Sirius's hands off her shoulders and hit his chest as hard as she could. "I love him, Sirius," she hissed. "I love Regulus, and I do not regret marrying him. I regret the monster that the Dark Lord and your bitch cousin are turning him into. I'm never going to stop loving him, but I'm trying to make up for that by doing the right thing behind everyone's backs because that's the only way I can. You're just pissed because I only trusted James with it instead of including you."

Sirius frowned. "Fine, maybe I am a little upset you didn't trust me," he snapped. "But that doesn't mean that you can just…" Sirius took several deep breaths, running a hand through his messy black hair. "Forget it; that can wait till later. I'm serious, though, Freya. You have got to tell James about this, and you have to move out of that house. He can't be allowed to lay a hand on you like this ever again."

Freya squabbled timidly, "Regulus didn't want to do it. Bellatrix forced him to; if she didn't tell the Dark Lord that she saw him do it, the Dark Lord would've shown up and done it himself, and so much more. I believe him when he says he did it to protect me from something a million times worse."

Sirius growled, "Doesn't mean Regulus didn't damn well enjoy himself when he did it. Look, I get it, you love him, you always will. You'll never love me. I don't care about that. I care that you're not safe with him anymore."

"Black, don't you think it's about time that — bloody hell…"

Freya's sad eyes grew wide as she peered around Sirius's broad shoulders to see full-fledged Auror Frank Longbottom standing not far behind him, staring at her with concern written all over his face. Freya pleaded, "Longbottom, please, don't tell anyone."

Sirius rolled his eyes at Freya's automatic concern that something would happen to Regulus that he knew was at the forefront of her mind right then. Frank asked, "What happened to you, Freya?"

Sirius watched Freya's fearful face for a moment before he said angrily, "A pair of Death Eaters attacked her. She doesn't know who they were. One of them raped her."

Frank's jaw dropped as a look of horror crept onto his face. "Has she been to St. Mungo's yet?" Frank asked softly.

Sirius gave Freya a hard look, making the small woman cower and shake her head slightly. Sirius sighed. "I don't know why that wasn't my first thought, Longbottom. I'll take her there. Can you send someone to meet us there, then contact Freya's brother and let him know what's happened?"

Freya gulped. "Sirius, please, don't tell James. He'll be furious."

"I know," Sirius said firmly.

"What about her husband? Want me to tell Regulus what happened to?" Frank asked.

Freya opened her mouth to answer, but Sirius interrupted, "Regulus will be fine. I'll talk to him myself after I make sure that Freya is taken care of and safe."

Frank nodded. "All right, but use the Floo system. Apparating her right now would likely worsen her condition."

Sirius nodded, and, leading Freya gently by the hand, took her out of the room and into the main office, ignoring the many questions thrown at the pair as they crossed the large office space and disappeared into the Floo. As the pair reappeared in the lobby of St. Mungo's, Freya turned to Sirius and said viciously, her eyes bright with anger, which returned a little life into them, "So help me, Sirius, if you hurt Regulus in the least way, I will mess you up so badly that it will make what was done to me look like child's play."

Sirius sighed heavily, defeated. "The worst part is knowing that you mean it when you say that, Freya. Fine, I won't go near him, but I won't stop your brother from going after him either." Freya's eyes widened, but she was swept away from him by the freshly flooed Alice Longbottom and the team of Healers Alice had gathered while Sirius and Freya had talked.

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**July 1979**

Freya paced anxiously in the living room of Sirius's apartment late that night, making Sirius roll his eyes at her from his seat on the couch. When she finally stopped pacing, Freya tangled a hand in her hair and tugged on it nervously. "Where is James?" she demanded. "I thought he would have shown up the minute he heard at St. Mungo's, but instead he hasn't been seen all day. Where is he?"

Sirius sighed. "For the tenth time, I don't know, Freya. He'll be along soon; I'm sure."

The fireplace filled with bright green flames, and James stepped out of the fireplace into the flat. His glasses were askew, and there was a purple splotch of bruise on his jaw. Freya gasped and rushed over to her brother. "James, where the hell have you been?" Freya asked. "What happened to your face? Are you ok? Please, please tell me that you didn't go after Regulus."

James smirked slightly. "I can't tell you that, baby sis. I did go after Regulus, and I found him, too."

Freya's bruised face grew pale. Unconsciously taking a step back from her brother, Freya stammered, "N-no, no, no. P-please, tell me you didn't."

James shrugged. "He deserved a lot worse after what he did to you. Don't worry though, I managed to catch him drinking alone in the Leaky Cauldron. Damn Slytherin didn't even pull his wand on me; it ended up just being a big fistfight in the pub," James stated proudly, yet sounding as though he regretted not having the chance to curse his brother-in-law properly.

Freya shook her head, a slight groan escaping her lips. "James, please tell me you didn't hurt him."

James and Sirius exchanged wicked grins, before James answered, "I didn't hurt him too badly. A broken arm, a sprained wrist, a broken nose. St. Mungo's will have him patched up in minutes, unfortunately."

Freya turned away from her brother, sighing as she collapsed into a chair. "I have to go home," she mumbled. "You've had your stupid revenge, James. Now please, just let me go home."

Sirius growled, "No way in hell you're going back to that place."

James added, "He's right, Freya. You promised me that if he hurt you again, you'd let me get you out of there without a fight."

Freya snapped, "I never promised that. I agreed that you could try to get me out of there if he hurt me again, but our plan is working, James! I can't just leave; I have to go back."

Sirius roared, "No! Absolutely not! I don't care what plan it is that you two have cooked up; nothing can be worth what's happening to you, Freya. Please, we love you so much; don't do this to yourself."

Freya entreated, "Sirius, please, just stop. I get that you two love me and want to protect me, but I don't want to be protected. I want to go home. I can fight my own damn battles."

James rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because that's clearly working out so well for you. Let your family take care of you, Freya."

"Regulus is my family," Freya snapped. She stood up slowly, every muscle in her body aching. "James, Sirius, I'm done arguing. I'm going home. Regulus will get hurt if the Death Eaters find out that I'm not there anymore, and I still love him enough that I could never want that to happen."

James sighed, exasperated. "Freya, I'm not letting you go back. He hurt you in ways beyond belief. I thought he'd hurt you in a lot of ways, but I never expected this. You know that if Mum and Dad found out about this, they would never let you anywhere near that man again."

Sirius muttered darkly, "Charlus would bloody murder Regulus if he found out."

"Don't think I'm not tempted to tell him, Sirius," James drawled. "But I think if we did that, Freya might legitimately kill us."

Freya glared at her brother. "Don't think I'm not tempted to bloody murder you right now just for getting into a fight with my husband at all," she sneered in a very Slytherin-like manner. "James, I'm your sister, not your wife. You don't get to tell me where to go or who to associate with. I am married, and I am going to go home to my husband whether anybody likes it or not. If I don't, every single person I know will get hurt until I am back there. It probably won't even be Regulus who goes around hurting people to try to get me back, either, although I'm sure he'll have a hand in it somehow. His family will not stand for this. I'm going back, and you aren't going to stop me."

Sirius said from where he sat, "He's not alone, Freya. All of us are backing him up on this. You're staying here with me. End of discussion."

Freya screeched, "This is most certainly not the end of the discussion! There's nothing to even discuss. I'm going home."

James snapped, "Just because we're the Order of the Phoenix doesn't mean we don't know how to keep people prisoner, Freya. We can keep you here against your will if we have to in order to keep you safe, and don't think we won't do it. I mean, Sirius already has your wand to keep you from apparating away, and this place is warded to the point where it's a miracle that I can even find it. You're staying whether you like it or not."

Freya pointed an accusing finger at James. "You will pay for this, James. I'm not the little girl you grew up with anymore. I'm not unwilling to hurt you anymore. The second I manage to get my hand on my wand, you will pay, and you will pay dearly."

Glaring at his sister, James replied, in a voice that made Freya think he was worried about her sanity, "I'm sure you feel that way now, baby sis, but I know once you realize how much better your life is here, you'll change your mind. You'll thank me for this one day, Freya."

* * *

Two weeks passed, and Freya had yet to have managed to get hold of her wand again. The only exceptions were when she went with Sirius to work at the Ministry, but then she was closely watched between Sirius and the Longbottoms that Freya couldn't even go to the restroom alone, much less make an escape.

Currently, Freya, in her animagus form, lay curled up in a ball at one end of the sofa, Sirius lounging lazily on the other end, watching her curiously. After a long silence, Sirius asked softly, "Freya, you're almost always a fox these days. Why don't you ever want to stay human? That way you could talk to me, James, Lily, Remus, Peter, and everyone else that comes by and loves you and wants the best for you." Freya didn't answer for a few minutes, so Sirius continued, "Please, talk to me."

Freya huffed, then turned back into her normal self. She snapped, "I don't want to talk about what happened, Sirius."

Sirius frowned. "I didn't say anything about talking to me about that, although you're certainly more than welcome to, and I honestly wish you would. I just meant talk to me about something, anything. Talk to me about the bloody weather and how much bloody rain we've gotten since you've been here for all I care, just please, talk to me. All this time as a fox and the constant silence, it makes me worry."

Freya screwed up her face at that. "I don't like all these people constantly worrying about me," Freya muttered darkly.

Sirius replied, "Don't make us worry about you then, Freya. It'd have helped put an end to all the worrying if you hadn't gone and insisted on marrying a Death Eater. You could've married me instead, you know."

Freya chuckled bitterly. "Oh, please! You and I had a few one night stands within a couple months, then I was suddenly off the market and out of your bed, you got jealous and couldn't stand it, and now you're convinced you're in love with me. You don't love me; you just wish it was you leaving hickeys and sex bruises on my body instead of your brother."

Sirius shook his head, grimacing. "Freya," he groaned softly. "That isn't it at all; surely you know that."

"Actually, I don't know that," Freya grumbled. She remained silent for several minutes, and Sirius begrudgingly allowed her the time to think. Freya stood up suddenly, shaking her head. "I'm going to bed."

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose, frustrated with her stubborn streak, then mumbled, "Good night."

* * *

Freya woke up screaming, the heavy feeling of someone's hands on her shoulders reinforcing her panic attack. She continued to shriek and begged, "No, please, no. Not again, please."

A soothing voice broke through the panic-induced haze of Freya's mind. "Freya, you're ok. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you here; I promise, love," the distinctly male voice said as Freya thrashed about, fighting against the hands holding her down.

Freya's eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring into Sirius's worried grey eyes. She stopped fighting against him, but instantly demanded, "Get your hands off me."

Sirius frowned and sat back, removing his hands from Freya's shoulders. Freya sat up and scooted away from him, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs as she leaned against the headboard of the bed. Freya fought back tears as he asked gently, "Were you having a nightmare about what he did to you?"

Freya shrugged, refusing to look Sirius in the face. "Sort of," she said hoarsely, the unshed tears constricting her throat. "Bellatrix came back and said the first time around wasn't enough. She said Regulus was going to have to do it all over again, but this time in front of the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters. So he was going to do it again. They were talking about a couple of the other Death Eaters maybe helping him out this time, to 'show him how it's done.'"

Freya broke at that point, choking on a sob as the tears finally began to fall, and Sirius ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do when it was so clear that any attempts at a comforting touch would not be well received. He settled for leaving his hands on his lap, palms-up, ready to be taken if she decided she wanted him, and said in his most reassuring voice, "I'm so sorry, Freya. I'm sorry that any of this has happened to you. I promise you, though, that Bellatrix, Regulus, and all those little Death Eaters are never going to touch you again. James, Remus, Peter, and I won't let them. Please, believe that. Hell, it's why you're here being held against your will."

Freya shook her head. "This is killing Regulus, you know," she informed Sirius. When he merely gave her a confused look, she elaborated, "He probably thinks I've left him by my own choice. He was already falling to pieces over what he did to me; if he thinks I've left him…" Freya shivered.

Sirius's face hardened. "Good, he should regret what he's done to you. I don't care what excuse he's given you; nothing makes this all right."

Freya said, her voice crackling because of the tears, "He doesn't try to make excuses. He spent the whole night apologizing, and while I was asleep he made a potion for me to take away as much of the pain as he could. He stayed up the whole night trying to make things easier for me and apologizing and…" Freya trailed off, succumbing once again to her sobs.

Sirius grimaced at the sound of Freya's crying, wishing there was something he could do to make things better for her. "May I?" he whispered, offering his hand to her. When she nodded, he took her hand in his, entwining their fingers together. Freya felt her heart clench at the action, guilt washing over her for willing allowing Sirius to take such liberties when she knew how he felt about her and how upset Regulus would be when he found out. Sirius scooted closer to her and mumbled, "I wish I could undo everything he's ever done to hurt you."

Freya sniffed, wiping tears off her face with her free hand. After a few minutes, Freya asked softly, "Can you get James here for me? Please?"

Freya could see the hurt in Sirius's eyes as he realized that she didn't want him to comfort her, but she wanted Sirius to leave her alone too much to be bothered by it. Sirius sighed heavily, then nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get James. I'll be right back, and he'll be here with me. Don't worry," Sirius said quietly.

As soon as Freya was certain that Sirius had gone through the Floo, she crawled out of bed and slipped out of the room. Finding Sirius's potions cabinet, she searched through its contents, huffing in annoyance when she couldn't find what she wanted. After a few minutes of digging, she found three vials of a turquoise blue potion and pulled them out. She stared at the bottles of potion for a moment before drinking the first one. A wave of calm washed over her, but she still felt anxious and as though her chest might explode from the pain, so she went ahead and knocked back the second dose. She shivered at the chill the blue liquid sent down her spine, and her hands shook slightly as she started to take the third dose. As she sipped at the liquid, Freya heard the woos of the Floo and someone step out of the fireplace down the hall. Dizziness overwhelmed Freya, and she eased herself down to sit on the floor. The door to the room opened, and James rushed over to her, kneeling down beside her. The vial in her hand was still half full, and James took it from her gently. Observing the other empty bottles, James said, distraught, "Oh, no. Freya, what did you do?"

Sirius caught up with James, and it was as though someone had knocked the air out of his lungs. "James, that's Draught of Peace," Sirius exclaimed. "That shouldn't have done anything to her but relax her. What's wrong with her?"

James motioned to the two empty glasses of potion sitting on shelf. "I think she drank too much of it," James said anxiously as he supported his sister's woozy head.

Freya mumbled, "Jamie, it hurts. Make it stop."

James frowned. "What hurts, baby sis? Tell me what's wrong."

Freya leaned against James, resting her head on his shoulder. The room was spinning around her, and she fumbled as she reached for James's hand. She smiled slightly as she slurred, "My chest has been hurting since you took me away from him."

Sirius's face hardened. "You mean since we saved you from that Death Eater you call a husband?"

Freya yawned, but James could feel the way her entire body trembled under the effects of the overdosed Draught of Peace. She snuggled closer to her brother, her face completely relaxed. "I just want my Regulus back," she garbled as she closed her eyes, burying her face into James's shoulder.

Tears pricked at James's eyes as he said, his voice tight, "Quick, let's get her to St. Mungo's."

* * *

Freya woke up the next night, her head pounding. She moaned and threw an arm over her eyes, trying to block out the light of the room. She heard shuffling, and then a hand was on her arm and James's voice was in her ear. "Hey, baby sis! Are you ok? Do you hurt? How are you feeling?"

Freya whispered, her voice raspy, "Jamie, water. Please."

James nodded. "Sure, sure. I'll be right back."

James left her alone in the room, and Freya grumbled, "Kreacher."

A loud pop announced that the house elf had apparated to a spot next to the bed. "Yes, Mistress Freya?" the house elf said enthusiastically.

"Where am I, Kreacher?" Freya mumbled, having still not opened her eyes yet.

"St. Mungo's, Miss," the house elf answered.

Freya thought it over for a moment, then instructed, "Kreacher, go home to Regulus and tell him I'm here. Have him come here immediately and get me out of here. If he's here, his authority as my husband will supersede James's authority as my brother, and Regulus will be able to take me home."

Kreacher replied, "Of course, Miss Freya." There was another loud pop, and the house elf was gone.

James reentered the room, a glass of water in hand. He gently removed Freya's arm from over her eyes and helped her sit up enough to drink the water. She covered his hand on the glass with hers and drank greedily. James placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head as he pulled the empty glass away from his sister. "How are you feeling? Are you ok? What were you thinking? You know better than to take multiple doses of a potion in a row like that," James babbled.

Freya leaned into James's hold. "I think I'm ok. My head hurts. James, I… I miss you, Jamie."

James held her hand in both of his, then whispered, "I miss you too, baby sis. You've been so distant since graduation. I thought that with our plan we'd see a lot more of each other than we are."

Freya caught the pain in her brother's hazel eyes, and she felt tears sting her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jamie. I'm trying my hardest to balance everything."

James blinked back tears of his own and kissed Freya's hand. "Don't be sorry, Freya. You're doing the best you can in a very difficult, very dangerous situation. I just worry about you so much. I don't want you to deal with all that danger anymore. It hurts to see you suffer like this."

Freya bit her lip for a moment, holding back tears as she looked into her brother's eyes. "Jamie, I —"

"There you are, Freya!" Regulus exclaimed as the door flew open, and the man rushed to his wife's side, pulling her away from James in order to hug her himself. Regulus's eyes were bloodshot, there were horrible dark circles under his eyes, and he appeared as though he had lost a few pounds in the two weeks that Freya had been gone. He squeezed her tightly to his chest as he declared, "I've missed you so incredibly much, Freya. I'm so so sorry; please don't ever leave me again. I'll do anything to make you happy, Freya. Please, please, come home to me."

James frowned at the married couple, but remained silent, knowing his protests would do no good now. Freya rested her head against Regulus's chest, content to lounge in his arms, and looked over at James. "I love you, Jamie," she said softly. "Thank you for taking care of me, but I want to go home."

James nodded, his temper flaring in his eyes as his jaw muscles clenched. Turning his attention to Regulus, he threatened, "So help me, if I ever hear or even suspect that you have ever hurt my sister again, even in the tiniest of ways, I will make that Lord Voldemort of yours look like a declawed kitten in comparison to what I will do to you; got it?" Regulus nodded quickly, stroking Freya's hair tenderly as he gently rocked her back and forth on the bed. Seeing the love for Regulus shining in Freya's eyes, James decided to let it end there, for his sister's sake. James gave Freya his attention, then said lovingly, "I love you too, Freya. I'll see you soon, ok? Promise me?"

Freya glanced up at Regulus, who nodded slightly. Freya answered cheerily, "Yes, you'll definitely see me soon." James nodded with a slight smile, then stood up slowly. He handed Freya's wand to Regulus, then left the room. Freya's face fell as she mumbled, "I'm so sorry, Regulus."

Regulus shook his head and continued to rock her. "Sweetheart, don't apologize. I deserved every bit of worry you caused me. I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm so sorry for what I put you through." His eyes grew wide. "You're not in here because of what I did, are you?"

Freya shook her head. "I was upset and anxious and hurting, and I missed you. I guess I was out of my mind or something. I took more than double what I should've of Draught of Peace, and it didn't sit well. I guess James and Sirius brought me here to make sure that I came through ok."

Regulus bit his lip hard to keep from crying, nearly drawing blood. After a few moments, he took a shaky deep breath, then asked, "Darling, why would you do that? You could've done damage to your body that was beyond repair."

Freya said tearfully, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to. It just wasn't working with the first vial, so I took another, then I started drinking a third, and at that point I didn't know why I was doing anything. I just knew I felt sick and so sleepy, and everything inside my chest felt tight and hurt like hell, but also so empty. I just wanted it to go away."

"You didn't leave me of your own free will, did you?" Regulus asked softly.

Freya looked Regulus in the eyes and answered fiercely, "No. I would never leave you."

The corner of Regulus's mouth twitched up in a half smile. "Good, I'm glad," he whispered happily. He leaned down towards her mouth, then froze as he saw her flinch slightly. Just then, a Healer came into the room to check up on Freya's progress, and Regulus was shooed away from his wife. An hour later, and Freya had been checked out of St. Mungo's, and Regulus apparated her home to 12 Grimmauld Place. Freya followed him up to their bedroom, at one point stumbling on the stairs, so Regulus carried her up the last flight of stairs. Freya hesitated, but snuggled against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck before they reached the top of the stairs. Regulus placed her gently on the bed, then whispered, "Freya, I'm so sorry. I've been going out of my mind wondering if I'd ever see you again. I'm a horrible monster for hurting you the way I did. The fact that you were in so much pain because of what I did to you... it kills me. I'm so incredibly sorry, Freya."

Freya scooted over to make room as Regulus crawled onto the bed beside her. She reached out and took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers together. "Regulus, I forgive you. I'm still working on not feeling hurt or angry about it, but I still love you, so I forgive you," she said firmly.

Teardrops slowly began to escape as Regulus fought to control his emotions. "Thank you, Freya," he choked out. "I love you too, so incredibly much." He paused a few moments, then he said, his voice steadier, "I'm looking for a way out of this for us."

Freya scrunched up her nose in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Regulus ghosted his fingertips over her cheek, observing the yellow remainders of the now-faded bruises he had formed on Freya's body. "I mean I don't want to be a Death Eater anymore. If they're going to force me to treat you like this, and then everything else they make me do…" Regulus shuddered. "It's not what I thought it was, and although my father would never admit it to anyone, it's not what he thought it would be either. He's been steadily increasing the wards and protective spells on the house ever since he found out from my mother what happened between us and Bellatrix. I think it must've been a wakeup call for him too. He's losing faith in the Dark Lord, and so am I. I want you away from all of this, safe."

Freya smiled, seeing the man her husband really was for the first time in what felt like years. "I want us both away and safe," she said softly. "Why don't we just go to the Order of the Phoenix? They'll keep us hidden and protected; the Death Easters would never find us."

"It isn't that easy," Regulus groaned. "The Dark Mark on my arm allows the Dark Lord to track me wherever I go. I can't just run away; no matter who was hiding or protecting us, he'd find us and kill us. If we do this, I have to either kill him or hold the key to his demise."

Freya frowned. "I don't know, Regulus," she murmured.

"Well, I do," Regulus said authoritatively. "And maybe, just maybe, I might be able to figure out that piece of information sooner than you'd think. He's been very cryptic lately, but very smug about it. He's done something. I think something to keep himself from dying if he should ever be attacked. I don't know what yet, but… I'm going to stay, and the two of us will keep on as if nothing has changed, but I'm going to start digging into it. I know it hasn't always, but for me, our marriage comes first, and I am going to make damn sure that we can live our lives in peace without sick, twisted bastards like the Dark Lord coming after us."

Freya blinked hard to keep herself from crying. She threw her arms around Regulus's neck, pushing him over and crawling on top of him as she hugged him as tightly as she could, hiding her face in his neck. Startled, Regulus placed his arms around her small waist automatically and gently rubbed her back. Freya whispered, "I have been waiting for so long to hear you say that, Regulus."

At that, Regulus squeezed her even tighter. "I'm sorry it took so long," he whispered back.

Freya replied happily, "As long as it's finally happened, I couldn't care less about the past." She pulled back slightly so that she could see her husband's face properly. "You can touch me again, Regulus. I know I basically told you that I never wanted you to touch me again, but I take it back now. This — you fighting to get us safely away from the Death Eaters — it makes me feel like I can trust you again."

Regulus brushed her hair out of her face, then tenderly covered her cheek with his hand. Freya leaned into his touch, a look of pure bliss on her face. Regulus asked nervously, "Are you sure?"

Freya answered, "Yes. I want you to kiss me, touch me. Make me forget all of the horrible things that happened and replace the memories with the way you love and make love to me. Please."

Regulus captured her lips, and it felt as though Freya's world had been set on fire. She leaned into it, and the slow, affectionate caresses of his hands all over her body made her tremble with need. She carefully unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders when she was finished. Staring at his bare chest and abdomen, Freya said accusingly, "You _have_ lost weight while I've been gone."

Regulus flushed and looked away from her. "I've barely eaten the last couple weeks. Ever since what happened. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep… I could barely get out of bed. I managed to convince my parents you would come back, so the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord never found out you were gone. I got lucky; I could barely keep myself together enough to keep it a secret. But I did it, because I knew if I ever saw you again, if you ever came home to me, then it would be very important that it seemed you had never gone. If they had known you'd disappeared…" He shuddered. "I don't even want to begin to imagine what they would do to you, or force me to do."

Freya kissed Regulus soundly on the mouth. Pulling away, she whispered, "Thank you, Regulus. I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**October 1979**

Freya hurried to keep up with Aurors Alastor Moody, Frank Longbottom, and Sirius Black as the men ran in the direction of the Dark Mark that hung in the air above a small wizarding community in Northern Scotland. As the group of aurors arrived on the scene, the Order was already there, dueling against the Death Eaters. One particular Death Eater caught Freya's eye, and she gasped in horror as she realized that it was Regulus locked in a deadly duel with her brother. The other aurors had already scattered, engaging Death Eaters in duels of their own, so no one noticed when Freya ran through the battle dodging stray spells toward her husband and brother. Freya nearly screamed with rage when James's Stunning Spell hit Regulus square in the chest, and Regulus collapsed, unconscious. As Freya reached Regulus, she aimed her wand at James and cried, "Crucio!"

The Unforgivable Curse caught James in the stomach, his eyes wide in shock that his little sister would ever cast a dark spell at all, especially at him. He fell to his knees with a grunt, and his body curled in on itself in an attempt to escape the pain as he continued to groan. When Freya finally released James from the curse, James gasped, "Freya, why?"

Freya hissed, "You hurt Regulus. You could've gotten him thrown in Azkaban for life. I warned you what I'd do if you ever touched him. That was me taking it easy on you." Turning to her husband where he lay on the ground, she muttered, "Rennervate."

Regulus's eyes shot open, and he sat up slowly, holding his head as if it ached. He asked her, his voice muffled through his mask, "Freya? What happened?"

"James stunned you," Freya answered bitterly. "You guys are far outnumbered. Go home; get out of here before you get arrested."

Regulus nodded. He stood up, turned on his heel, and disapparated. Freya turned around and spotted a female Death Eater about to curse James in the back as he fought a man whom Freya suspected to be Zane Travers. Freya threw a Killing Curse easily at the woman, and the jet of green light caught the woman in the head, and she fell dead to the ground. As the Death Eaters began to disapparate, a curse caught Freya across the back of her left shoulder blade, slicing the flesh as if she had been struck by a sword. Freya shrieked in pain, and as she dropped to her knees, Sirius caught her and kept her from falling. "We have to get you to St. Mungo's," he muttered.

"No," Freya protested. "I know this spell; they won't be able to fix it. I need to go home. Regulus can fix it." Sirius frowned, but nodded and let her go. Freya managed to stay on her feet long enough to apparate back to 12 Grimmauld Place. She collapsed in the hallway next to the troll leg umbrella stand, and she called out as loudly as she could, "Regulus!"

Regulus ran into the hall from the dining room, Barty Crouch, Jr. on his heels. Catching sight of Freya clasping her shoulder, biting her lip to keep herself from crying, and blood pouring profusely from her injury all over her dragon hide jacket and the floor, he rushed to her and began to wave his wand over her shoulder slowly and heal the injury. Regulus snapped at Barty, "I thought you said you used Sectumsempra on an auror, not my bloody wife."

Barty exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! I couldn't see who she was, and I saw her take out Roxana Flint. If I'd known who she was, I'd have never cursed her.

"Oh, just shut up, Barty," Freya growled, hissing as Regulus put slight pressure on her wound.

Regulus finished healing Freya's shoulder, and he pulled her jacket off and pushed her dark grey shirt off her shoulder, trying to get a better look at the injury to ensure he had healed everything properly. Barty flushed as Freya's Ravenclaw blue bra was half exposed and looked away, staring at the ceiling with an embarrassed grin on his face. Freya smirked at Barty's reaction, then shook her head. Regulus's fingers traced the fresh scar down her shoulder blade, satisfying himself that she was all right. He asked softly, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Freya shook her head. "No, that's it."

"It was stupid to apparate here with a wound like that, darling. You could've splinched," Regulus admonished gently.

Freya smiled slightly at Regulus, not a trace of regret on her face. "I know," she answered. "But it was better than using the Floo and getting all kinds of Floo powder and soot in the wound. A broomstick would've taken too long."

Regulus couldn't help the grin on his face, and he shook his head slightly as he conceded, "You're right, as usual."

Regulus placed Freya's shirt back on her properly, and Barty stopped staring at the ceiling. Barty said sheepishly, "Sorry about that."

Freya shrugged. "It's fine. It's just a scar now."

Regulus helped Freya to her feet. He brushed a thumb over her cheek in a sweet gesture as he asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Freya shook her head. "No, I'm ok, but there's something else I've been needing to talk to you about. You've been off with the other Death Eaters for a few days now though, so I haven't had a chance to talk to you lately."

Regulus quirked a curious eyebrow at her, then nodded. "Barty, come get me if you get word from the others, yeah?" Barty nodded, and Regulus and Freya ran upstairs to their bedroom. Regulus kissed her lips lovingly, then asked, "Everything ok?"

Freya nodded as Regulus held her face between his hands, her own hands resting on his chest. "Yes, I'm ok. But there's something important I have to tell you." Regulus watched her face curiously but said nothing, so Freya continued. "Regulus, I think I might be pregnant."

Regulus's eyes grew wide in surprise. "P-pregnant?" he stuttered.

Freya's face fell slightly; she thought he seemed disappointed and upset. "Yes?" she answered nervously. "I've missed my last period by almost three weeks now, and I've felt all funny the last month or so." Freya paused, but Regulus simply kept staring at her, still holding her face close to his. Freya fidgeted nervously for a few moments, then asked anxiously, "Are you angry that I might be pregnant?"

Regulus shook his head hard. "No! Absolutely not. I'm sorry, I just…" he shook his head, a wide grin spreading on his face. "I'm just so surprised," he admitted. "I mean, we've never even talked about having kids. I guess I just never even thought about the possibility of us having kids. I mean, we're eighteen…"

"You still sound disappointed," Freya mumbled.

Regulus kissed the top of her head excitedly. "I'm far from disappointed," Regulus reassured her. "I'm surprised and worried and terrified about bringing a child into our crazy lives, but I'm thrilled."

"Really?" Freya asked.

Regulus planted a passionate kiss on her mouth, filling her mind with a fiery haze. Freya tangled her fingers in his dark wavy hair, and pulled him closer to her. He pulled back slightly, and Freya whined softly at the loss, making him smirk. Regulus answered firmly, "Yes, Vixen. I'm absolutely sure. I love you so much, and I love that you're pregnant with my baby."

Freya smiled and corrected, "Well, probably pregnant. I'm going to have to go to St. Mungo's to get the pregnancy test done. Would you come with me?"

Regulus's smile grew impossibly bigger. "I would love to. How does right now sound?"

"Perfect," Freya smiled. "Kreacher?" she called.

The house elf appeared in the room next the married couple. "Yes, Mistress Freya?"

Freya shed her dragon hide jacket and shirt and tossed them on the floor for Kreacher to pick up. "Please take those to Madame Malkin's and have them repaired and brought back to me," she requested.

Kreacher bowed low, collecting the clothing items from the floor. "Yes, Mistress Freya. Is there anything else I can do for the young Master and Mistress?"

Regulus smiled. "Freya might be pregnant, Kreacher," he said affectionately, pride beaming on his face.

Kreacher smiled. "Congratulations, Master, Mistress. Should I begin making arrangements for a baby room in the house?"

"Not yet, Kreacher," Regulus said gently. "We want to keep this a secret for now, just the three of us, ok? Don't tell anyone."

"Of course, Master Regulus," Kreacher said, bowing his head in deference. "Would the young Mistress care for anything special to eat or drink at the family dinner tonight?"

Regulus and Freya exchanged a glance, and Regulus instructed, "Freya and I will be having dinner separately from my parents tonight. Freya and I are going to St. Mungo's here in just a few moments." Regulus paused, patting Freya on the bum and ushering her to the wardrobe to put on another shirt. As she pulled Regulus's sixth year Quidditch jumper out and pulled it over her head, Regulus continued, "We will be having our dinner late in the kitchen rather than the dining room. Freya, is there anything special you want to eat tonight?"

Freya bit her lip for a moment as she thought about it, then shook her head. "I can't think of anything. I'm not really having cravings yet that I've noticed," she answered.

Kreacher bobbed his head. "Kreacher will make an extra healthy dinner for the Mistress and the Black baby that will be ready upon your return. Kreacher hopes there is a baby, and that the Black family line in all its greatness will be continued."

Regulus chuckled. "Thank you, Kreacher. Best hurry along to Madame Malkin's if you are going to have my parents' dinner ready in time."

Kreacher nodded, then disapparated with Freya's ripped clothing. Freya smiled at Regulus as he took her hand, and the couple returned down the stairs into the dining room, where Barty was still waiting for Regulus's return. Barty looked up from his wand as they entered the room. "Everything ok?" Barty asked.

Regulus exclaimed, "Everything's brilliant!"

Barty nodded slowly, glancing between the two as though unsure of what to make of them. Freya gently punched Regulus's shoulder in a playful gesture as she looked at him. "I think you can trust Barty to keep this a secret, don't you?" she asked with a sweet smile.

Regulus kissed her forehead, then turned to Barty. "Freya thinks she might be pregnant," he announced happily.

Barty stood up quickly and gave Freya a tight hug. "Congratulations, you two!" Pulling away from Freya, he was once again shamefaced as he said, "Err, sorry again about hitting you with that curse earlier. Would've been bad if I'd hit you any lower."

Freya shrugged. "No worries; everything's turned out just fine. Forget about it," she said reassuringly.

Regulus said, "Listen, we're going to St. Mungo's to find out for sure. I'd suggest you not stick around here unless you want to have to deal with my mother." Barty blanched at the idea of being alone with Walburga Black, making the two Black family members smirk slightly. "If you hear anything about Death Eater matters, let me know? Even if I might not need to know? Just send me an owl, it'll find me."

Barty nodded. "Sure, mate. And hey, good luck. I hope Freya is pregnant. It'll cement your position with the Dark Lord and the future of your house."

Regulus nodded slowly. "Right. See you later, Barty."

"Bye, Regulus," Barty said before he disapparated.

Regulus and Freya apparated to St. Mungo's and checked Freya in to see one of the Healers in the maternity ward. The two sat in the waiting room for about an hour waiting for the Healer to be ready to see them when they heard a loud voice from down the hall. "Where is my sister? Freya Black; I've been searching for her on every floor. Someone said she had been checked in here. Is she hurt? What's wrong with her?"

"Sir, you need to calm down," one of the Healers said firmly.

Freya rolled her eyes, standing up and heading in the direction of the voice. She saw her brother standing at the other end of the corridor with one hand tangled in his wild dark hair, glasses slightly askew and his black trench coat soaked in rainwater. Lily stood behind him, waiting patiently for him to calm down, her own brown blazer wet as well. Freya strolled over to the Potters, Regulus close behind her. "James, calm the bloody hell down and leave that poor woman alone," Freya ordered in a teasing tone.

James heard her voice and spun to face her, and immediately scooped her up in a big hug, lifting her off her feet. "Freya, what are you doing here? Sirius said you were injured in that battle and insisted on going home instead of to St. Mungo's, and then I heard you were here anyway, that one of the Order members saw you here. I was so worried! Are you all right?"

As James set her down on the floor, Freya answered, "Calm down, I'm just fine. I'm all patched up."

Lily watched her sister-in-law suspiciously, then asked, "Why are you here? This is the maternity wing of St. Mungo's." Freya blushed bright red, and Regulus rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Lily gasped, then demanded excitedly, "Freya, are you pregnant?"

Freya turned even more red as she stammered, "I, um, well, m-maybe?"

Regulus whispered, "I thought it was a secret."

Freya whispered back, "We're busted, just hush."

James gaped at his sister as Lily hugged Freya. "Congratulations, Freya," she said cheerily.

"Thanks," Freya mumbled. "But nothing's certain yet. I haven't even been tested yet, so I don't even know if I'm actually pregnant yet."

James suddenly wrapped his arms around his sister, pulling her to him. Freya buried her face in his chest and breathed deeply, and nearly cried when it suddenly hit her how much she missed seeing James and Lily on a daily basis. She bit her lip, and as she took a step back from James, he asked softly, "Whoa, hey, are you ok? You look upset."

Freya nodded. "Yeah, I just miss you, Jamie. I'm fine. Hey, if it's true that I'm pregnant, then it's probably hormones, right?" she said, forcing a small laugh.

Regulus put an arm around Freya and pulled her into his side, kissing the top of her head. "I'll make sure you see them more often from now on, ok?" Regulus promised in a sweet, soft voice.

Freya smiled slightly and nodded. One of the Healers called Freya's name, and Freya said sadly, "Jamie, Lily, it was good to see you."

James asked softly, "Do you want us to wait here till you get out? We don't mind."

Freya bit the inside of her cheek as she thought for a moment, then answered, "No, go home. Get some sleep. After the night you've had, you probably need it. I'll send you an owl as soon as I know."

"Ok," James said softly, squishing his sister in yet another hug.

Regulus ushered Freya over to the Healer, who led the couple into an examination room. The Healer introduced herself as Healer Deisy Lovato asked Freya about her suspicions, and Freya explained the bloating and the cramps and the missed period that made her think she was pregnant. Healer Lovato cast a spell on her, and a pink glow settled around Freya. Healer Lovato chirped, "Congratulations, Mrs. Black; you're definitely pregnant." Regulus whooped and joyfully swept Freya off the examination table and spun her around as she laughed.

* * *

Reviews are wonderful things! Leave lots please.


	12. Chapter 12

**November 1979**

The start of November brought with it the death of Orion Black. Healers declared his death to be due to unknown natural causes. Regulus took his father's death hard, and Freya struggled to comfort him every day leading up to the funeral. The night before the ceremony, Regulus spent the entire night sobbing with his head in his wife's lap; neither slept that night. The funeral was a quiet affair three days after Orion's death which included all Black family relatives, with the exception of Sirius. Walburga and Bellatrix both seemed almost smug during the proceedings. Freya held Regulus's hand tightly in hers, trying her hardest to console the man whose face betrayed none of the storm of emotions brewing just under the surface. After the funeral was over, Freya and Regulus sat in their bed, Freya wrapped securely in her husband's arms, reading the Daily Prophet together. Regulus suddenly broke the silence by saying, "I want you to call in sick to work for the rest of the week."

Freya looked up at him, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Why?" she asked softly. "Is the Dark Lord planning an attack on the Auror office or something? Shouldn't I know about something like that?"

Regulus shook his head. "It's nothing like that," he muttered. "This is all me. I'm worried about your safety, and the baby's. This last week or two has been rough around the Dark Lord. He's done something, something really really bad if my suspicions are correct. I don't want to tell you in case I'm wrong, I'd hate to scare you for no reason, but even if I am wrong, I want you to stay in this room. I don't want you anywhere near my mother. She —" Regulus choked up, and Freya realized that tears were filling his grey eyes. He took a deep breath, then started again. "My father was losing faith in the Dark Lord too. That's why he put up all those protective enchantments on the house that weren't here before. My mum must've found out, because… I – well, I think she poisoned him, and I think Bellatrix helped her."

Freya bit her lip as Regulus began crying again. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled, feeling rather pathetic that it was the only thing she could think of to say.

Regulus took several slow, deep breaths, calming himself and wiping away his tears. "My mum is going mad, and Bellatrix has been out of her mind for a long time now. I want you to keep as far away from them both as you can, and never eat or drink anything that either I or Kreacher hadn't tasted first. You never know with her; she might come after you next, not knowing that the only heir to the House of Black is currently forming in your belly."

Freya nodded slowly, still not sure why he insisted on keeping her pregnancy a complete secret. After they had found out, Regulus had compelled her to write James and Lily to tell them that the test was negative, and he had written the same to Barty Crouch, Jr. Of course, as soon as she had gone the chance, she had met with James in secret the way she had so many times to betray the Death Eaters, and when she had told him the truth, James had been overjoyed at the idea of being an uncle, even if the father was a Death Eater. "What are you going to do?" she asked uncertainly.

Regulus sighed. "The Dark Lord has asked to borrow a house elf for a task. I've volunteered Kreacher with instructions for him to return to me no matter what. I'm hoping Kreacher will gain information that will confirm or deny my suspicions about things. I'm giving him Kreacher in the morning. I'll stay here with you until he returns to us. After that, well… we'll see."

"Ok," Freya whispered, pulling herself closer to Regulus and laying her head on his chest. She blinked back tears as she whispered, "Regulus, I —" She paused, swallowing hard. "I'm scared," she said, barely audible, burying her face in his bare chest.

Regulus squeezed her tightly to him, kissing the top of her head and breathing the scent of her hair in deeply. "So am I, sweetheart," he whispered."

* * *

Two days later, Kreacher turned up in their bedroom nearly dead. Regulus spent days nursing the house elf back to health before he was finally well enough to resume his duties, causing Regulus to secretly bring in another elf to cover for Kreacher to Walburga. Finally, Regulus sat down with Freya in their bedroom, and said quietly, "My suspicions were correct. The Dark Lord has done something truly horrible, and now he cannot die."

Freya turned white, fear filling her eyes. "What – what do you mean, he can't die?" Freya stammered.

Regulus sighed. "The Dark Lord has created a horcrux." At the confused look on Freya's face, he explained, "It's the worst kind of dark magic. You split your soul in half by committing a murder, then you take one of the pieces and put it in an object, and that way you're protected if something happens to you, and as long as the horcrux hasn't been destroyed, you cannot die, that piece of your soul will live on and can be used to resurrect you."

"So, even if the Dark Lord dies, he won't be truly gone," Freya said with a shudder. "What are we going to do?"

Regulus looked down, suddenly unwilling to meet her gaze. "I'm going to get Kreacher to take me to where the Dark Lord used Kreacher to hide it, and then I'm going to steal it. Kreacher will make it back alive with the horcrux, but… I'll probably die."

Freya turned a violent shade of green, and she had to force herself not to vomit before she protested violently, "No way, Regulus! No way in hell I'm letting you die. I'm going with you."

Regulus snapped his eyes up to meet hers, fury glowing in his face. "Bloody hell, no. I'm not risking the lives of my wife and child on a suicide mission like this. You can forget that."

Freya glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest, but knowing he was right — she couldn't risk the baby's life either. Her own life she wouldn't hesitate to give up to protect Regulus, but she couldn't kill her baby in the process. "Fine, I won't go along. At least let me contact my brother. Let somebody from the Order go with you; give yourself a chance to come home alive, please. Don't kill yourself like this; your wife and daughter need you."

Regulus snorted, raising an eyebrow at her with a arrogant look on his face. "What makes you think our child is a girl?"

Freya continued to narrow her hazel eyes at Regulus and replied, "I don't know. Just a feeling. You're avoiding the topic at hand."

Regulus shook his head, standing up from his seat beside Freya on the bed. He snapped, "I'm not avoiding the topic; the subject is closed. I'm going, and I'm going solely with Kreacher. You will stay here in this room, and will not leave it again until we return, and if Kreacher returns without me, then you'd better damn well get out of here and go somewhere safe. No matter what, Kreacher is bringing that horcrux back here to you. The two of you will likely have to destroy it without me. Take it with you and go stay with someone you trust. Your brother maybe, or mine… Just somewhere safe."

Freya began to argue, "But —"

"No," Regulus shouted, the angry word making Freya flinch. "End of discussion."

* * *

The next day, Regulus was in the shower, preparing himself for his attempt to steal the horcrux. Freya sat in their room on the bed, brushing tears off her cheeks as she called out for the house elf. Kreacher appeared and awaited her orders expectantly. Freya said softly, "I don't care what Regulus has ordered you to do, Kreacher. I know you'll take my side on this one. I'm commanding you to make sure that no matter what, Regulus comes home to his wife and child. He's willing to risk killing himself, but I'm not willing to lose him. No matter what, bring that man home to me."

Kreacher bowed low, his large ears brushing the floor. "Yes, Mistress Freya," Kreacher answered obediently.

* * *

It was 3 a.m. before Kreacher apparated into the bedroom, dragging a soaking wet Regulus over his shoulder. The wizard nearly crushed the poor house elf, and Freya rushed over to help Regulus on to the bed, laying him down. Remembering everything Regulus had done to heal the house elf of the same poison, Freya began nursing Regulus back to health. When he was feeling better a couple days later, Regulus croaked accusingly, "You changed Kreacher's orders behind my back. I had told him to save himself and get out. Instead, he rushed into a crowd of Inferi, dived into the water after me, and saved me. I don't know how he managed it either, I was so far gone by then."

Freya simply nodded, watching his face with tears in her eyes. "Yes, I told him to save you no matter what the cost. Instead, he managed to bring back what I imagine must be the horcrux and you. You haven't any idea how much I love that elf right now. When he came back, as soon as I was sure you were going to live, I kissed him right on that great big nose of his. You should've seen him blush."

Regulus smiled slightly and brought a hand up, barely touching her face before letting his hand fall back down to the bed. Freya took his hand where it lay and squeezed it. "Thank you," he said hoarsely. "I love you."

"I love you too," Freya replied gently. "Now, please, let yourself rest. It's the only way you're going to get better." Regulus nodded, and a few moments later he was asleep again.

* * *

Freya left Regulus in Kreacher's capable care to meet James in the sketchiest Muggle bar she'd ever seen. She found her brother waiting for her, leaning against the bar playing with the drink in his hand but not actually consuming it. Freya sat down beside him with a heavy sigh. James wrapped his arms around her instantly, and she gratefully leaned into him. James buried his face in her hair, reassuring himself that she was alive, healthy, and whole. "How are you doing, baby sis?" he asked softly.

Freya sniffled, then whispered, "Things are bad, Jamie. Really, really bad. We have to get out, but we don't know what to do. I'm sure Regulus has ideas he hasn't told me yet, but he's still recovering and —"

James frowned as he pulled away and sat down on the bar stool next to Freya. "Recovering? Recovering from what?"

Freya sighed. "The Dark Lord, he… Oh, Jamie, it's awful, it's really awful… Regulus found his weakness and is ready to exploit it, but as hard as Kreacher and I have tried we can't figure out how to destroy it. As soon as he finds out it's missing, though, he'll kill us all for sure."

James placed a hand on Freya's shoulder, shaking her gently. "Slow down, Freya," he pleaded. "You're leaving out a ton of information. Start over, and include all the details."

Freya took a deep breath, blinking away tears, and tried again. "Regulus discovered that the Dark Lord had made a horcrux to keep himself from dying. Regulus, he – he stole it from him, right out from under his nose. We've no idea when he'll realize it's gone, but as soon as he does, he'll know it was Regulus. The Dark Lord will murder us both in his fury, and if we can't destroy the bloody thing then it'll all have been for nothing. We have to go into hiding, but if the Dark Lord knows we're still out there, then he'll never quit looking for us, and thanks to Regulus's Dark Mark, he'll find us."

James sat there slack jawed, processing the terrifying information. "Oh, Freya," he moaned, shaking his head.

Freya stared at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Jamie, please, don't tell anyone. Not the Order, not Dumbledore, not Sirius or Lily. Absolutely no one. Please, I'm begging you," she implored, grabbing at James's sleeve and digging her nails into his arm.

James answered, "Of course, Freya. I'll keep the secret. You know I'd do anything to protect you. I'll even help you go into hiding without being looked for, but how do you plan on doing that?"

Freya shook her head. "I have no idea. Regulus is the one who's so good at deceiving people. I mean, I can fool people, but this is too big. He's going to have to come up with this one." She paused, wishing for a moment that she was allowed to drink alcohol in her condition. She certainly felt things would go smoother with Regulus if she were slightly inebriated. "Regulus doesn't know that I've been passing you information. Actually, he doesn't realize I've had any contact with you that he wasn't around for. He's going to be so pissed when he realizes I've told you all this; when he finds out what's been going on, he's going to kill me," she grumbled.

James sighed. "He won't kill you," he said, as though it pained him to admit that his brother-in-law might have a decent quality. "He loves you and that baby too much, probably."

Freya snorted. "Of course he won't literally kill me," she teased. "If he ever did try that, you and I both know that I'd drop him to the floor in a heartbeat. Not dead, of course. But he'd wake up in Azkaban, and he'd know who put him there," she said thoughtfully. Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she smiled at James. "Of course, that's something I'll never have to worry about again. He's leaving the Death Eaters as soon as he wakes up and tells me how he plans to do that."

James nodded, a slightly amused smile playing on his lips. "Well, Lily and I have a few safe houses all over the place. How does a nice little isolated cottage in Ireland under a Fidelius Charm sound to you? It'd just be the two of you, and you could have yourself a house elf, that one Regulus is so bloody fond of maybe, if you like, to keep food supplied and whatnot, so you'd never have to leave and you'd stay safely under the charm."

Freya nodded. "That sounds perfect, Jamie. Thank you."

* * *

When Regulus woke up again the next day, he felt like his old self again. He smiled when he saw Freya sitting on the bed next to him, reading some book on advanced charms. He pulled himself up and kissed her sloppily on the cheek, making her giggle. "Thank you, Freya," he said happily. "I would've died back there if it weren't for your order to Kreacher. You saved me."

Freya turned and kissed Regulus hard on the lips, only breaking away when she absolutely had to for air. "Thank you," she replied softly. "For going after that bloody horcrux and saving us from living like this anymore."

"Where is the locket now?" Regulus asked, his face suddenly filled with worry.

Freya frowned. "In the drawer of the nightstand," she answered slowly. "Do you know how to destroy the bloody thing? I've been researching for days in every book Kreacher brings me from the library downstairs, but I can't find anything useful."

Regulus shrugged. "I have no idea. For now, we keep it hidden, away from the Dark Lord, and we do the same with ourselves. We have to leave here, tonight. Send an owl to your brother. Tell him that the worst has happened and that you saw me die tonight beyond a shadow of a doubt, and that you can't go on without me. Tell him you're committing suicide. They'll never find my body, so the world will believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Death Eaters murdered me for some reason or another. The assumption when they can't find your body will be that you were compelled to write that letter at wandpoint by a Death Eater and that you were murdered too. I don't know where we'll hide, but we'll figure out something."

"Umm, about that," Freya mumbled. "There's a big something I need to tell you, and you're not going to like it."

Regulus frowned, narrowing his eyes at his wife as he stood to change clothes. "What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

Freya fidgeted nervously under his steady gaze. "Well, umm, about that brother of mine, James…" She swallowed hard, then the words poured out of her mouth faster than she could stop them. "James and I have been meeting in secret ever since I became an Auror. That's why so many Death Eater plans are getting screwed up by the Order of the Phoenix. I've been telling James everything the Death Eaters are up to that I know of, and every time I sabotage the Aurors he corrects it through the Order. I met with him last night and told him all about the horcrux and our need to escape. I can tell him to feed the others the story about our deaths, and they'll believe it. He's offered us a safe house in Ireland under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, and he'd be our Secret Keeper. I'm sorry; I know it was dangerous and stupid and put us at risk, but I couldn't stand by and actively do harm to people I love without counteracting it somehow. James is the only one who knows about what I do as a double agent. Just please, forgive me and take him up on his offer of a safe haven."

Regulus was absolutely livid — Freya could see it in his eyes. He opened his mouth two or three times as though to say something, then thought better of it, and shut his mouth again. After several minutes, he said coldly, "Pack lightly. The less you bring, the better. Bare essentials. We don't want people like my mother taking a look around up here and realizing we're not dead, we've just run off somewhere. Tell Potter to be ready to enact our plan as soon as possible. I want to be gone from here within the hour." Freya, dumbfounded by his callous reaction, stared up at him dejectedly, then nodded and stood to pack her belongings.

* * *

James stood with his sister and brother-in-law and their house elf outside of a cottage in northern Ireland surrounded by green woods, and he frowned at the distance that had been created between the pair that he had noticed as he had cast the Fidelius Charm with them. Whatever it was that divided them, it made his baby sister unhappy, and James didn't like that. He decided that he'd have to fix that, even as his sister hugged him and thanked him for everything. James laughed off her praise. "Ah, it's nothing," he said with an easy smile. "It's what any good big brother would do for their baby sis."

Regulus snorted. "Sirius would never do this for me," he sneered.

James feigned a look of deep offense. "Why, Regulus, you're Sirius's little sister? What are you doing married to my Freya, then?" he asked in as serious a tone as he could muster, and Freya couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. Regulus glowered at them both, and James continued more soberly, "Honestly, though, if Sirius knew everything that I knew about the two of you, you know damn well that he would do the exact same thing. He's still your brother, Regulus. He hates that you're a Death Eater, and he hates that you've stolen the heart of the woman he loves and married her, but he still loves you, his brother. He'd protect you if he thought you needed protecting for the right reasons."

Regulus nodded. "Thanks," he said softly. James gave his sister one last hug and left the couple alone. Regulus dismissed Kreacher with a wave of his hand, and ushered Freya inside, casting nervous glances around them before shutting the front door behind them. Freya collapsed exhaustedly on the couch, and by the time Regulus turned around to face her, she was asleep. Regulus sighed, resigned to letting her sleep, when she suddenly rubbed her face, awake again. He tilted his head as he watched her, worried. "Are you all right, Freya?" he asked as he sat down next to her.

Freya frowned, curling up in her corner of the couch with her knees pulled up against her chest. "Yeah, I guess," she yawned. "I'm just glad to be safe and away from the Death Eaters. We can just live our lives however we want, as long as we stay in the house at least. We can be normal."

Regulus furrowed his brow, reaching out and delicately tracing her jaw with his fingers before tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "No, I meant physically. You were just asleep for under a minute. Are you feeling all right?"

Freya sighed. "I haven't slept since before you went with Kreacher after the horcrux. I couldn't sleep, I was so worried about you after you came back, then as soon as you were well we met up with James and all this. I wouldn't be surprised if I fell asleep for a few seconds."

"That's not good for you or the baby," Regulus said firmly, annoyance showing in his eyes.

Freya rolled her eyes. "Then don't go nearly getting yourself murdered anymore, and I won't spend three days with no sleep nursing you back to health."

"You need to go to bed. Now." Regulus's voice had an authoritative tone that left no room for discussion.

Freya's mouth tightened into a fine line. She shook her head. "You're such a stubborn prick sometimes," she muttered.

"Why's that?" Regulus growled. "Because I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect us while you run around putting us in danger at every turn? Because I always tell you what I'm doing when it could possibly in some way touch your life, yet you continuously go sneaking around behind my back with the very people who want me dead or arrested?" Regulus shook his head, a bitter smile on his face. "Yet I'm the one who's wrong here."

"Damn it, Regulus," Freya snapped loudly. "I've told you I'm sorry, ok? I did _not_ sneak around with people who wanted you dead. I had meetings with my bloody brother that I kept a secret from you, the same brother who is fucking protecting you from being tortured and murdered ruthlessly by your bloody _Dark_ _Lord_ ," she said, ridiculing the former Death Eater's use of the title.

Regulus stood up, running a hand through his hair. Glaring at Freya, he shouted, "I would've given anything for you and that baby, to keep you out of harm's way, even if it meant giving up my life! You damn well nearly threw me under the bus just to clear your bloody conscious! If you'd have even thought about it for five minutes instead of just rushing in like a bloody Gryffindor, you'd have realized that if you had gotten caught by either side, the Dark Lord would have killed us both! How do you think that would have ended for our little baby?"

Freya screeched back, standing up herself, blue sparks shooting involuntarily from the end of the wand in her hand, "I am a bloody Gryffindor, Regulus! You seem to keep forgetting that I'm not a sneaky, slimy little snake like you, and I don't want to be! I hated the way we lived, and I was damn careful when I met with James. I never got caught. Don't you dare tell me that I was wrong for being willing to put myself at risk to try to protect innocent lives!"

Regulus growled, a deep, guttural sound in his chest, pulling out his wand and throwing a curse at a vase under the window behind him in anger. A bright blue light pulsed from his wand and hit the vase, and the resulting explosion threw pieces of the porcelain vase all over the room. A shard cut Freya's cheek, while another lodged itself in her shoulder. She cried out and dropped down onto the couch, clutching at the injured joint. Regulus had managed to protect himself with a Shield Charm, and he gasped when he realized Freya was hurt, immediately kneeling down in front of her and placing his hands over hers on her shoulder. "Freya, I'm so sorry," he blubbered. "I never meant to…"

Freya shrieked, "Just get away from me!"

The vicious fury in his wife's eyes nearly made Regulus obey Freya's command, but he steeled himself and snapped, "No. Don't be stupid, Freya. Let me heal you. You can't get that out yourself, and I'm the only one here who can do it for you. Now just shut up and let me fix you."

Freya glared angrily at Regulus, but otherwise made no move to pull away. Regulus pushed her hands away from her wound, and as gently as possible pulled the piece of porcelain from where it had lodged itself just under her right collarbone. Freya whimpered as he took it out, forcing herself to glare at the ceiling as tears welled in her eyes. Once the shard of vase had been removed, Regulus tenderly cleaned the wound and healed it completely. He moved to heal the cut on her face, only to find Freya's wand quickly pointed in his face. "All right," she hissed. "You've done your duty to the mother of your child. Now leave me alone."

"That's an awfully deep gash, Freya," Regulus reasoned. "It'll scar your face; I doubt you want that to happen."

"Then I'll heal the damn thing myself," she retorted, crawling toward the other end of the couch away from him and standing up. "Just leave me the hell alone." She stormed off down the hall, finding the master bedroom and slamming the door behind her and locking it with a spell that couldn't be undone with a simple _Alohomora_ , leaving Regulus behind on his knees in the living room with his head in his hands.


	13. Chapter 13

**May 1980**

They were fighting again. The days they didn't fight were few and far between. Despite the fighting, the two never stopped loving each other, and they found themselves making love on a regular basis, particularly after fights, to try to remind themselves of why they were in this situation together in the first place. Regulus was particularly moody and irritable, spending most of his time trying and failing to destroy the locket that they'd risked their lives to steal. After these failures, he usually went after Kreacher and Freya with a vengeance, taking out his frustrations on them, then drowning his guilt and frustration in alcohol.

Struggling even more than Regulus with the isolation, Freya found herself almost entirely reliant on her owls from James. The letters from Sirius during the first couple months were always more difficult to read, as he struggled with grief from her supposed death and pleaded with her to admit that it was all a lie. She always re-sealed those letters and sent them back in an effort to make it appear as though the owl couldn't find her. Her brother always did her best to keep her spirits up, not only keeping her informed with the latest news, but also sending her all her favorite things, from candies to books to music, as regularly as possible without arousing the suspicions of others. Freya often wandered around the woods and nearby Muggle village in her animagus form; observing the Muggles helped relieve some of the loneliness which she was suffering. Naturally, this habit only served to fuel more arguments between Freya and Regulus.

Now they were fighting after another failed attempt to destroy the locket. Regulus's dark spell, which Freya couldn't even begin to identify, had bounced off the locket and hit Regulus instead. He'd struggled to breathe as he instructed her how to undo the damage he'd done to himself, then smacked Freya across the face for not having managed to shield him from the spell. She'd gotten angry; they'd shouted at each other. He slapped her again, hitting the same mark as before, and she'd hexed him, storming out of the house, taking to the woods in her fox form. Even as a fox, she could feel the welt swelling around her eye painfully. She could hear Regulus shouting for her from the house, but she ignored him. She'd wait to come back until he was calm, and they could kiss and make up, again.

Suddenly, a stab of pain shot through her belly. The pain had been coming and going all morning, and Freya feared she was fully aware of the cause. As soon as she heard Regulus go back into the house, slamming the door behind him, she transfigured back into herself and disapparated, reappearing on the front stoop of a small cottage in Godric's Hollow. The cramping in her stomach increased from the pressure of apparation, making her double over in pain as she banged on the door and screamed, "James!"

The door opened with Lily standing on the other side, green eyes wide with shock. "Freya? But - but you're dead…"

James brushed past his pregnant wife, wand trained on his sister. "What did you turn my toffees into when you were four?" James demanded, eyes hard with skepticism.

As the pain in her abdomen slowly began to fade, Freya panted, "Brussel sprouts… your own… fault for… stealing my… Ice Mice…"

A grin spread on James's face. He quickly pulled Freya into the house and shut the door behind her. "Why the hell aren't you in Ireland?" he asked, trying his best to seem angry with her, but too overwhelmed with relief and happiness at seeing her in his home that he couldn't wipe the grin from his face. "Where's Regulus?"

Lily shook her head, confused. "James, what is going on? How is she —"

"I'm sorry, Lily," James said hurriedly, examining the bruised lump on Freya's temple with gentle, hesitant fingers. "They came to me for help months ago, darling. I had to hide them quickly, from everyone, and I couldn't tell anyone the truth or the whole story would've fallen apart."

"Spy games," Freya said bitterly, wincing at the pressure from James's inspection.

James sighed, focusing on his baby sister again. "What happened?"

Despite the pain to her eye, Freya leaned into James's tender touch. The past two years or so had been absolute hell, and she had missed her brother more than anything in the world. "It's stupid, really," Freya mumbled. "I think I'm in labor. I can take his anger, his jealousy, the fighting, the loneliness, the pain, but I get slapped with childbirth, and suddenly, I'm a frightened little kid and have to run away to my big brother." James frowned, and Freya continued, "I'm sorry, Jamie. I never should've —"

"Don't worry about it," James dismissed casually. "Lily, I'm so sorry I lied to you about her, but I —"

"Had to protect her; I get it," Lily sighed, shaking her head. "I don't like it, but I get it. St. Mungo's?"

James eyed Freya. "What do you think? Risk it?" he asked.

Another wave of pain crashed on Freya, and she grunted, grabbing James's arm hard enough to leave bruises as she tried to hold herself together. "Yes, yes, I don't care. I just want a healthy baby."

"Is Regulus all right?" James asked as he guided Freya to the fireplace. "Why isn't he with you?"

"He's probably drinking again," Freya snarled. "Leave him in hiding. Let the world keep thinking he's dead." James and Lily both frowned but neither commented.

* * *

The tiny baby wrapped in pink slept softly in Freya's tired arms. Freya yawned before continuing to stare in amazement at the red-faced little girl. Her head already had a fine coat of black hair, and beneath her closed eyelids, Freya knew her baby had hazel eyes that looked exactly like her own. Glancing around, Freya saw that Lily had fallen asleep in a nearby chair, and James was standing guard outside her room at St. Mungo's. Freya was just about to put her baby down in her little crib when she saw something she couldn't believe. Sirius had approached James in the hallway, and the two talked for a minute before her brother-in-law rushed into her room, James staying in the hallway. Sirius barked, "You're alive? What the hell, Freya? Why didn't you tell me? Where's my idiot… brother…" He trailed off, finally noticing the baby that had been sleeping in Freya's arms as she woke and began to cry from the sudden ruckus. Lily groaned in her corner, rubbing her eyes before standing and joining James in the corridor.

Freya sighed. "I had no choice, Sirius. James was the only one who knew. Regulus and I couldn't tell anyone other than our Secret Keeper or no one would have believed we were really dead. You had to believe it, too."

Sirius nodded. "Ok." Freya frowned, the lack of argument from Sirius disconcerting. "Is that my niece?" he asked softly as the baby screamed its frustration at being awake. Freya nodded, shushing her child and trying to coax her back to sleep. "Can - can I hold her?" Eyes wide with surprise, Freya nodded again and handed the baby girl to Sirius. He shushed her and rocked her gently, and her tiny fist clenched around his finger as she calmed down, hazel eyes watching Sirius's gray ones with utter fascination. "What's her name?"

Freya smiled tiredly. "Annabelle Vega Black."

"She's beautiful," Sirius whispered as Annabelle yawned, her grip on his finger loosening slightly as she drifted off to sleep again. Sirius took a deep breath, then said, "Freya, I've got to tell you something, and you're going to hate me for it."

"What?" Freya asked, not sure she wanted to know.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Before I tell you, I want you to know the truth. I love you; I always have. I was stupid letting you go back at school. I was scared to commit when I was so young, but I also thought you'd always be mine, even if we weren't able to be together. Clearly, I was incredibly wrong, and I'm sorry…"

"Sirius," Freya interrupted. "What did you do?"

"Please, believe me, I never meant for it to happen, and I wouldn't have gone there if I'd known he'd…"

"You went to see Regulus?" Freya gasped.

"James told me where he was while you were in labor," Sirius admitted. "He told me that Regulus had been treating you like shit while you were in hiding together, and I had to confront him about it. I couldn't let him keep doing that to you without at least trying to stop him."

"Sirius, what did you do?" Freya hissed.

Sirius looked up at her, eyes filled with guilt and tears. "Freya, I… he's dead." Every muscle in Freya's body turned to stone; she couldn't breathe. Her heart monitor said it was still beating, but she couldn't feel it in her chest. Sirius rushed, "Please, let me explain. It was self-defense; I swear, it was self-defense."

Her voice somehow finding its way out of her throat, "Y-you… you killed him?" Sirius took a step back from Freya's bed, still holding Annabelle. "What the hell did you do?" Freya demanded.

* * *

 _Sirius knocked on the door, and he couldn't say he was surprised when Regulus opened the door with red eyes and a bottle of firewhiskey in his hand. "Hey, baby brother," Sirius sneered. I think we need to talk, don't you?"_

" _Go to hell, Sirius," Regulus snarled, walking away into the living room of the house, not bothering to shut the front door. Sirius followed him into the house, ignoring the Slytherin's remark. "Freya's not here," Regulus sighed. "So obviously you didn't come here for her."_

" _Actually I did come here for her," Sirius replied casually. "You're not treating our girl right, baby brother. You're still abusing her, treating her the way Dad treated the rest of us. I'm not going to stand by and let you hurt her anymore."_

 _Regulus snorted, pouring himself another glass. "She loves me, Sirius. She'll never fall for you, no matter how many times you try to play her little Gryffindor knight in shining armor."_

" _Right, well if I'm playing her hero, that would make you the villain, you know," Sirius reminded._

 _Regulus drained the glass in his hand, slamming it down on the glass coffee table. "Maybe I am the villain," Regulus snickered. "I'm the monster that hides under children's beds to scare them. I'm the bad guy who kidnaps the princess. I'm the monster that gobbles up good little girls and spits them back out, leaving them every bit as much as a monster as I am."_

" _That never had to be you, Regulus," Sirius said. "You could've chosen to be one of the good guys. You could've been her hero."_

 _Laughing fully, Regulus stood up, fingering his wand. "I tried that, and you know, being the good isn't really working for me." Taking a step toward his brother, he mocked, "What, did you think you'd come here, maybe find me in an emotional state, take me in your arms, and we'd be brothers again? Don't make me laugh. You'll never be my brother again, you blood traitor, and you'll never be able to take Freya away from me. My hold on her mind is too powerful for you to break."_

" _Are you saying you've been using the Imperius Curse on her this whole time?" Sirius asked suspiciously._

 _Regulus chuckled. "No. I never needed to. Sweet, innocent pureblood like her? She wanted to believe the best of me, no matter what evidence there was against me, to prove I'm really the big bad monster, and oh, did she ever believe what she wanted to see."_

" _You never loved her," Sirius accused._

" _Of course, I loved her," Regulus jeered. "But once the Dark Arts take hold of you, they never let go. Their hold on me has always been greater than hers."_

 _Regulus twirled his wand in his fingers casually, little green sparks lighting from the tip, and Sirius watched him warily. "You used her."_

" _I gave her what she wanted," Regulus shouted, startling Sirius, though the older Black didn't dare to show it. "She wanted me, big brother; she fell in love with a monster and asked to be with me forever. Damn it, I gave her what she wanted. It's not my fault she chose to burn in hell with me."_

 _Sirius pulled his own wand from his pocket slowly, eyeing his brother warily as he poured himself another drink. "Finish your drink, baby brother," Sirius said firmly. "Then I'm arresting you for domestic abuse, rape, and many, many other crimes, including being a Death Eater."_

 _Regulus snickered, shaking his whiskey and making the ice rattle against the sides of the glass. "You are signing my death warrant, Sirius," he said, and when he looked at Sirius, his eyes were full a happy madness that Sirius had never seen in his brother before. His mother, maybe, but never his brother._

 _Sirius said, "I'm sorry, but you've left me no choice. I've got to protect Freya and your baby from the damage you could do to them. She's in labor at St. Mungo's, by the way. Maybe Crouch will be generous and let you visit one last time to meet your baby before sending you to Azkaban."_

" _I can assure you, Sirius," Regulus said slowly, setting the glass down again. "I have no intention of going to Azkaban." Turning his wand on Sirius, he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"_

 _Sirius jumped out of the way at the last second, and the two brothers managed to both disarm each other. Regulus took a swing at Sirius, and Sirius punched back, making contact with Regulus's abdomen. Regulus bent over in pain, grabbed hold of Sirius's arm pulled it behind his back, snapping it and making Sirius cry out in pain. Regulus wrapped an arm around Sirius's throat, choking him, and Sirius backed him toward a wall, but the pair tripped over the glass table and fell on it, smashing it. Sirius panted, crawling toward his wand as Regulus stood slowly, pulling a long shard of glass out of his side. Sirius reached for his wand as Regulus came out him with the shard of glass. "Reg, don't. No, don't," Sirius pleaded, regaining his hold on his wand. "Expelliarmus!" The shard of glass flew from Regulus's hand, and he stooped over and picked up his wand from the ground as Sirius aimed at him. "Regulus, please," Sirius begged. "Don't make me do this."_

 _Regulus smirked, the sanity gone from his eyes as he raised his wand. Sirius spotted a large piece of glass on the floor nearby and summoned it to himself as Regulus shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" The Unforgivable Curse hit the glass as it hovered in front of Sirius, reflecting off the item and rebounding on Regulus._

 _Regulus fell to the floor, and Sirius dropped the glass to the ground and hurried over to his brother. "Regulus? No, please, Regulus," Sirius moaned. "Don't be dead, Regulus, please, no…"_

* * *

Sobbing, Freya cried, "How could you? He was your brother!"

"I never meant to hurt him," Sirius insisted, tugging a little pink hat over Annabelle's head. "He came at me, I had no choice."

"Of course, you had a choice," Freya snapped. "You could have stunned him; you could have paralyzed him. There were a million things you could have done instead, but you chose to kill him!"

"You weren't there, Freya," Sirius growled. "He was a mad man, completely out of his mind. There was nothing I could do."

"You could have left us alone!" Freya screeched, making Annabelle start crying again. Sirius rocked and shushed his niece as Freya continued, "You could have stayed the hell away from him, and me. We were doing ok. You could have left us the bloody hell alone."

Tears streamed down Freya's cheeks as James entered the room, taking Annabelle from Sirius and stepping between Freya and Sirius. "That's enough, both of you," James hissed.

"Prongs —"

"No, Sirius, I said enough," James repeated. "Get out of here. Let my sister grieve. And you," he said, wheeling on Freya. "I'm sorry, but Regulus was doomed from the minute he took the Dark Mark, and you chose to get involved with him after he made that choice. You screwed yourself over there. I get that you loved him, but he never treated you right. You're free now; no one is going to hurt you ever again. Grieve for the loss of your husband and the father of your child, then move on."

Sirius opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and walked out, closing the door behind him. He stopped in the hallway outside the door as Remus walked up, keeping the werewolf from entering the room and speaking with him quickly, likely explaining the situation to him. Freya said tiredly, "James —"

"Hush, now," James said gently. "I'll take care of Annabelle. You're exhausted, and you just found out that Regulus is dead. Get some sleep; you need it. We'll all still be here in the morning." Freya sighed, nodding, ignoring the sting of tears in her eyes and trying to lay down. "And Foxy." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Welcome home," James said, leaning down and kissing Freya's forehead. "You don't ever have to leave again. You don't have to run; you don't have to hide. You're home."


	14. Chapter 14

**May 1980**

The next morning, Freya was struggling to feed Annabelle when she heard shrieking in the hallway. "Filth! Scum! Incompetent mudbloods, where is my grandchild?" A moment later Walburga Black stormed into Freya's room, her skin yellowing more than usual under the harsh lights of the room, practically foaming at the mouth as she screeched, "You! You stain of dishonor, taint of shame on the house of my fathers! You've stolen away my son, you scumsucking trollop!"

Freya clutched Annabelle to her chest as the baby began crying, adding to the din Walburga was creating. "Regulus left because he wanted to," Freya snapped. "How the hell did you find me?"

"The Black family has many connections," Walburga sneered. "Not that you'll have access to any of them anymore. Where is my son? He'll be wanting to come home with me and his child."

"Like bloody hell you're getting your inbred paws on my child," Freya hissed.

"That child is a Black, and it will be raised in its ancestral home, like every Black before it," Walburga insisted, rushing forward and attempting to take Annabelle. "And where is my SON?" she shrieked, inciting more cries from her granddaughter.

Freya whipped out her wand, waving it quickly at Walburga. "Evarte Statum," Freya said forcefully, her spell hitting Walburga square in the chest and throwing her back against the far wall. She heard her mother-in-law's head crack against the wall, and the old woman hit the floor. "You son is burning in hell, where you belong," Freya growled. "And you will stay the bloody hell away from my daughter. She will never see the inside of that pit you call a home."

Walburga glared at Freya, eyes more alive with hate than the young Gryffindor had ever seen. "You've killed my baby boy?" she demanded as she stood, drawing her own wand.

Freya smirked at her, relishing in her freedom to speak her mind at long last and mentally torture the woman who had put her husband and her brother's best friend through so much pain. "No. Your son did. Regulus cast the curse himself."

Nostrils flaring, Walburga hissed, "You lie. My son would never do such a thing. You lie, you filthy, dirty, blood traitor whore…"

"Expelliarmus!" Walburga's wand flew from her hand, and she shrieked in outrage. Sirius stood in the doorway, wand pointed at his mother. "You're right," Sirius sneered, the similarity to his mother's earlier expression a bit startling to Freya. "Regulus would never intentionally kill himself. He was trying to kill me, resisting arrest for his crimes as a Death Eater, but his spell reflected back on himself. He died trying to uphold your precious pureblood ways, trying to eliminate the blood traitor from your _ancient_ and _most noble_ family tree."

Sirius's calm voice, despite the threatening undertone, helped Annabelle begin to calm down and stop crying. Freya rocked her baby gently as Walburga grinned madly. "Ah, that is much more believable," she said, relieved. "Then my one and only son has died a hero."

"Your son died a criminal and a madman," Sirius jeered. "But don't worry, my dear, sweet mother, you still have one son who is sane and a good man." Walburga snorted disdainfully. "And Freya is right; my niece will never see the inside of your home, and, if we're lucky, she'll never even know you at all."

"You cannot withhold the only heir to the House of Black from me!" Walburga screeched, setting Annabelle off on another round of frightened wails.

"We can, and we will," Sirius said, the authority in his voice unquestionable.

Walburga glared back and forth at the two Gryffindors, weighing her options, before bending over slowly, using the wall to balance herself, and picked up her wand. Scowling, she snapped, "Very well, you win, for now. But mark my words, I will get custody of my granddaughter. I have friends in very high places, and I will make sure that my granddaughter is raised a proper pureblood."

Freya snarled, " _My_ daughter will be raised however I see fit, and she will grow up surrounded by blood traitors, halfbloods, and mudbloods who all love her dearly. And there won't be a single damn thing you can do to stop it." Freya snickered, then taunted, "And who knows? Maybe she'll even have a werewolf for a babysitter."

"How dare you," Walburga started, only to be cut off by Sirius's wand in her face.

"Ah, ah, ah, Mother," Sirius chided lightly, the look in his eyes the only thing that conveyed the true danger he posed to the old woman. "Unless you'd like to take a trip to Azkaban, I suggest you leave before you do something that will let me arrest you." Walburga huffed, then pushed past her disowned son and out the door, disappearing down the corridor. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief as he and Freya lowered their wands. "Sorry about her. She never was very agreeable." Freya shrugged. Noticing the way the nineteen-year-old girl was trembling, Sirius crossed the room and sat down beside her. "Here, I'll take her."

Freya hesitated, still angry with Sirius for Regulus's death, but she handed Annabelle to him anyway, too exhausted and upset to argue with him. Sirius rocked Annabelle slowly in his arms, whispering something to her that Freya couldn't hear. "Thank you for making her leave," Freya muttered as she leaned back against the stack of pillows behind her.

Sirius looked up, making eye contact with Freya. "You're welcome," he mumbled, surprised she was speaking to him.

"Don't get me wrong," Freya warned, crossing her arms over her chest. "I still hate you for killing Regulus."

Sirius snorted. "That's ok, I still hate me for it, too."

"Everyone knows I'm alive by now, I take it?" Freya asked. Sirius nodded. Freya sighed. "I guess it was going to have to happen eventually."

"Dumbledore's keeping the Ministry off your back," Sirius said. "Since you hadn't been declared legally dead yet, and it was just assumed, he's making sure they don't come after you with legal battles. He told them you were kidnapped by Regulus and forced to hide under threat of death."

"So the world knows now that he was a Death Eater," Freya muttered. "Have they realized yet that I was a spy?"

Sirius frowned. "No," Sirius replied, no longer rocking Annabelle, who was reaching for his hair, which had gotten a good deal longer since Freya had last seen him. He seemed to consider something, then continued, "James and I never told a soul you were doing that. Not even Dumbledore knows that you gave Voldemort Ministry secrets, but he does know that you were James's source of insider Death Eater knowledge. He's shielding you from any sort of Ministry investigation under the pretext that you were a spy for the Order of the Phoenix all along, and that your marriage to a Death Eater was just a way to get in to steal the information."

Freya snorted. "Albus Dumbledore, master of secrets, puller of strings," she sneered, shaking her head. "All right, I guess I'm officially an Order member then. How do they feel about that? The wife of a dead Death Eater joining their ranks after her husband's death?"

"They believe Dumbledore's version of things, that you only married him to get information," Sirius said. "The line of thought is that because your husband died, you can't get any more information from him, so you're coming home and showing your true colors. No one seems to be suspicious that there's anything more to it than that… But there is, isn't there?"

Freya chewed her lip thoughtfully, ignoring the sting when the skin on her lip split open. "There were things you weren't aware of, but nothing that would have put either Regulus or me in the Dark Lord's good graces," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"What does that mean?" Sirius asked as Annabelle cooed at him, tugging hard on his long black hair.

Freya brushed her auburn hair out of her eyes, sighing. "Sirius, he's doing things, things much darker than anything you could imagine, and Regulus… Regulus found out. None of the Death Eaters were supposed to ever know, but Regulus figured him out. We went into hiding because we stole something from him, and if we were dead, he would never come after us."

Brow furrowing, Sirius shifted Annabelle to hold her in one arm and reached out to Freya with his free hand, gently capturing her chin in his fingers. Freya glared at him, her cheeks flushing, as he asked, "What sort of thing did you steal that would make Voldemort come after you himself?"

Freya jerked her chin out of Sirius's grasp. "That's none of your business," Freya snapped.

Sirius winced slightly at Freya's tone, letting his hand drop. "Who all knows that you stole whatever this is and what it is?"

Freya considered whether or not to say anything for a moment. She muttered, "James knows, and I'll have to tell Dumbledore. Six months of trying to destroy that damn thing, but nothing's working, so I'll have no choice but to tell Dumbledore."

"Why can't you just trust me?" Sirius pleaded. "For years now, you've done nothing but keep secrets from me and lie to me. I understand the need for discretion, but you've got to understand that I love you and little Annabelle. I would die to protect you two. You can trust me with anything."

Sirius took Freya's hand in his as he spoke, and after a moment's hesitation, she pulled it away. "I thought I could trust that you would never do anything to hurt your brother," she said coldly. "But obviously, I was wrong about that since you were the one to kill him. Why should I trust you with anything now?"

Sirius looked away guiltily from Freya, gently disentangling his hair from Annabelle's tiny fist. "James should be here again soon," he mumbled, handing Annabelle back to Freya. "I'll just leave you two alone to feed her or whatever." Then he quickly ducked out of the room, leaving Freya alone as tears choked her.

* * *

Two days later, Freya apparated in front of the open front door of her and Regulus's hidden cottage in Ireland, her violet cloak whirling around her ankles as she landed. She hesitated, unsure she was willing to risk seeing Regulus's dead body as she didn't know if James and Sirius had moved him yet, but she had to get the locket to take to Dumbledore, so she forced her feet to move.

The living room was totally destroyed. Curse burns had left holes and stains on the pale green walls and hardwood floors, and the sofa had been knocked over. The glass coffee table was shattered. There was no sign of Regulus anywhere except for his blood all over the shards of glass on the floor. She delicately picked up a large piece that was almost completely covered in her husband's blood. Taking a deep breath to repress her tears and her anger, she moved gingerly through the wreckage of the living room to the fireplace. She tapped her wand three times on the second brick from the left on the mantel, and the brick jumped out of place, revealing the horcrux's usual hiding place. Freya gasped. The locket was gone. She ransacked the house, turning it upside down, but the locket had disappeared entirely. Eyes wide with terror, she disapparated to James's house again, rushing in without bothering to knock. James and Sirius sat on the couch, Sirius holding baby Annabelle, as Freya hurried into the room. Startled, both men jumped from their seats and pointed their wands at Freya until they recognized her. "James, it's gone," Freya said, panic seeping into her voice.

"What's gone?" James asked, dropping his wand onto the couch as he stepped toward his sister.

"The horcrux, Jamie, the horcrux; it's gone!" Freya screeched, the increase in volume making Annabelle start crying.

Sirius froze, unable to think about calming Annabelle as Freya's words processed. "Horcrux? You mean…"

"Yes, yes, the bloody Dark Lord made a horcrux, and Regulus stole it! Now Regulus is dead, and the bloody horcrux is gone!" Freya's voice went up a full octave as she shouted over her baby's cries.

Lily and Remus walked into the room from the kitchen, confused. "What's a hor-" Lily started, only to be interrupted by James.

"Lily, take Annabelle upstairs, will you? I need to talk to Freya," James said, panic making his voice shake as well.

Lily shook her head. "No, absolutely not. James, I'm tired of you keeping secrets from me because of her. I'm your wife, and I deserve your trust."

Remus sighed. "Here, I'll take her," he said, easily taking Annabelle from Sirius's paralyzed arms. "Prongs, you lot can fill me in later. I'll take care of Annie." With that, Remus swept out of the room with Annabelle, taking the steps two at a time up to the temporary nursery that James had set up for his niece.

Lily turned on James with a hard stare, raising an eyebrow. "Well? Horcrux. Explain."

James sighed. "Ok. Well, Regulus discovered that Voldemort had made a horcrux. It's the worst type of dark magic. He placed part of his soul into an object, making himself immortal, and he hid it. Thing is, Regulus discovered where he'd hidden it and stole it. That's why I had to hide him and Freya because when Voldemort finally realizes it's gone, he's coming after Freya with a vengeance."

"Ok, so where is it?" Lily asked.

Freya tapped her foot anxiously. "It's gone," Freya said, her whole body trembling. Sirius finally came to life again at the sound of Freya's voice, and he moved to stand beside her and pulled her to his side, an arm around her protectively. Freya continued, "I went back to the cottage, and I checked every hiding place I knew. I tore that place apart, and it is not there. Someone's gotten in and stolen it."

James, doing a better job than Freya of holding himself together, said, "Now, let's wait a minute. That house was under the Fidelius Charm, and I'm the Secret Keeper. No one, Muggles, Death Eaters, or otherwise, could have found that place unless I told them where it was. I know for a fact that there were only three people I told the location: Regulus, Sirius, and, of course, you, Freya. So if the horcrux is gone, that means that one of you three must've taken it."

Freya tore herself from Sirius's embrace, eyes wide. "Sirius?"

Sirius shook his head. "How could I have taken it?" Sirius snapped. "I didn't even know it was there."

"Well, I didn't take it," Freya hissed. "And you killed Regulus, so where else could it…" Freya trailed off as realization dawned on her. "Sirius, did you and James move Regulus's body out of the house?"

James shook his head. "I haven't been there since that first night you went into hiding."

Sirius hesitated, staring hard at the floor as though his brain was trying to work quickly. Freya smacked his shoulder hard. "Sirius!" Freya growled. "Did you move him or not?"

"He hasn't been back since the fight with Regulus," James said softly, pulling Freya away from his best friend. "He's always been with me or you; he can't have moved him."

"I did," Sirius said suddenly, gray eyes snapping up to Freya's hazel ones. He cleared his throat nervously, then said, "Umm, yeah, yeah, I moved him. That night. I didn't leave straight after the fight. I moved him."

"Moved him where?" Freya snarled. "He was probably wearing the damn thing again; what did you do with him?" she demanded as she fought against James's grip.

Sirius stammered, "I, umm, I…"

Lily said suspiciously, "Sirius, why would you move him anyway? I thought I heard you complain once about people doing that before the aurors get there to investigate."

"I did, I mean…" Sirius said.

"You always were a terrible liar, Padfoot," James said coolly.

"Where's my husband, Black?" Freya demanded.

"I buried him?" Sirius offered, but the tone of his voice betrayed him.

"Liar," Freya accused, her voice low and threatening. "Where is he? Is he still alive?"

Sirius's eyes begged Freya to stop, but she couldn't. If there was even a chance he was still alive, she had to cling to that hope with every fiber of her being. Finally, he sighed. "I can't remember…" he whispered.

"What the hell do you mean that you can't remember?" Freya screamed.

They could hear Annabelle start crying again upstairs, but Freya was too distraught to care. Sirius flinched away from the violence in her tone and said, "I can't bloody remember where he went," Sirius snapped. "All I remember is killing him, and then things got fuzzy, then I was at the hospital with you telling you I'd killed him. What happened in the middle, I don't know. I don't know what I did with his body, Freya, but Regulus is dead. You hear me? Dead. Gone. He's not coming back, Freya; you have to accept that."

Shaking, Freya stopped fighting against James's arms, letting him hold her to his chest in a tight, comforting hug. James said, "Freya, he's gone. We'll find the horcrux again, and we'll destroy it. It's going to be fine, ok?" Freya nodded against his chest, tears streaming down her overheated cheeks.

Tears threatening to spill from Sirius's eyes as well, he said sadly, "Freya, I…"

"Stop," Freya spit bitterly. "Leave me the hell alone, Black. I hate you."

As Freya pushed James away, James said quietly, "Come on, Freya, don't say that. You don't mean that…"

"Actually, I do," Freya interrupted. "I mean it, and he'd better never forget it." With that, she stormed away, heading upstairs to check on Annabelle and Remus.

* * *

Late that night, Freya woke up to the sound of Annabelle crying in the room next to hers. She groaned, then got out of bed slowly, her auburn hair falling out of the bun she'd put it in before she'd gone to bed and getting in her eyes. She pulled on a pair of warm socks and a cardigan before she let her feet hit the hardwood floor, then she trudged down the hall. As she reached the door to Annabelle's room, Freya rubbed at her eyes, then she heard someone saying, "Shhhh, shhh, it's ok, little one. I'm here; you're safe." Freya peeked into the room through the open door to see Sirius standing next to Annabelle's crib, bouncing and rocking the tiny girl in his arms. Sirius continued, "Sweet little Annie, you're so incredibly loved. Your mommy has been having a hard few days, but she loves you more than anything in the world. Uncle James and Aunt Lily love you too, and your daddy would love you desperately if he could be here. That's ok, though; I love you enough that you'll never have to feel like you're missing out on a daddy's love. I'll always miss your dad, but he'd want me to make sure you feel loved. I love you, little Annabelle."

Freya stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Maybe if you'd let her daddy live, you wouldn't have to worry that she might feel like she's missing something."

Sirius looked up, startled. "I wish I could have," Sirius said softly, unwilling to rise to Freya's bait. Annabelle's crying began to taper off as Sirius walked over to where Freya leaned against the closed nursery door. Sirius stopped when there was just inches between the two Gryffindors, Annabelle sniffling in his arms. He looked meaningfully into Freya's eyes, the moonlight lighting her face delicately. "I love you, Freya," he said tenderly.

Freya glared at him, then raised her hand and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. He allowed his head to snap to the side rather than try to resist her hand as she whispered angrily, "You killed him. I hate you."

Sirius bit his lip, clearly holding something back. After a moment, he leaned down and captured her lips with his. Freya's breath caught in her throat, and her heart pounded with a mix of guilt and excitement. She moved her hands to his chest to push him away but found Annabelle instead, the baby girl grabbing hold of one of Freya's fingers. Freya's heart softened at her daughter's touch, and she suddenly kissed Sirius back, lifting her one free hand to the back of his head, tangling her fingers in his black hair. It transported her back to a better time and place, to a summer of love and secrets and sex. Sirius was a bit taller and broader than Regulus, and his hair was considerably longer, but their lips moved in much the same way against Freya's when they kissed her, and it let her forget for a moment that Regulus was gone. When Sirius pulled back, Freya gasped for air and leaned her head back against the door, dropping her hand from his hair and refusing to look at his face as he stared hard at her. He whispered, "I don't blame you for hating me, and I understand the need to lash out at me. But please, don't tease me. Don't give me hope if this is never going to happen for us. Just don't."

Blinking away the sting of tears, Freya breathed, "It's true, isn't it? Regulus is dead?"

Sirius nodded. "I wouldn't lie to you about that, Freya."

Freya sucked in air, then she nodded as she expelled it forcefully. "Ok," she said quietly. After a few minutes of silence, she said, "You have to understand I'll never be able to forget him. He's always going to be a part of me and of Annabelle. Even if I could… If I could be with you… Sirius, part of me is always going to be back there with him…"

Sirius whispered, "I know, Freya. I know you'll always love him more than me. But if you could manage to love me with even a fraction of the love you gave him? I'd consider myself the luckiest man in the world. And you know I love Annabelle with all my heart; I could be her dad if you want."

Freya bit her lip thoughtfully as Annabelle's grip on her finger loosened, the little girl letting go as she finally fell asleep. Freya swallowed, taking her finger away and using it to trace Annabelle's chin, so much like her father's. She mumbled, "I can't right now, Sirius."

When she paused, Sirius pushed, "But?"

Freya looked up at him, eyes burning. "But," she continued. "Maybe, one day, if we just… try this… and the hatred and anger from all this could go away… maybe…"

Sirius's eyes lit up with hope. "Maybe?"

Freya wiped at a stray tear on her cheek. "Maybe, but Sirius…"

"I know, you're broken, damaged, scared. I hear all the same stuff from Remus on a regular basis whenever the subject of Marlene McKinnon comes up. I don't care," Sirius said quickly. He kissed Freya's forehead before turning away and placing Annabelle in her crib. Turning back to her, he took Freya's face in his hands and stared deeply into Freya's eyes, full of pain and fear. "I'll promise you this now," Sirius said solemnly. "I will never hurt you. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, no matter who you talk to, I will _never_ hurt you or Annabelle. I will never lay hand to you in anger, and I'll never make you feel like less than the sweet, intelligent, wonderful, brave girl that you are. As long as I'm around, I'll make sure that you and Annabelle never want for anything."

Freya tugged at Sirius's wrists nervously, making a weak attempt to break his hold on her. "Sirius, I can't…"

Sirius shook his head. "Freya, please," he begged, and Freya closed her mouth, letting him continue. "Forget the way Regulus made you think you ought to be treated. I'll never treat you the way he did. Things are going to be so much better for us, and you'll never have to hide anything from me, ok?"

Freya sighed then nodded. "Ok," she said, barely audible. "But Sirius, I don't know if I can promise the same. I don't… I don't want to hurt you, but…"

"I know," Sirius said sadly. "You're still hurt and angry; I know. I know you very well might lash out at me, kind of like you have been the last few days. It's ok; I can take it."

"You shouldn't have to take it," Freya said, her voice tight as she choked back tears and swallowed feelings of worthlessness.

Feeling Freya tremble, Sirius leaned down and brought her lips to his again. He parted her lips, his tongue slipping into her mouth, along with a million emotions that overwhelmed Freya and made her melt against his chest. Her heart pounded in her ears as she felt his muscles firm against her torso. She pushed herself off the door, pressing her body closer to his. Her skin felt like fire, and when he pulled away, he wiped tears from her cheeks that she hadn't realized were there. "It's ok," Sirius whispered. "I'm ok with it. I want you, all of you, the way you are. I don't care what you do; I'll always want you."

Unable to stop the flow of tears, Freya sniffed. Nodding, she whispered, "Ok." She paused as Sirius stroked her hair. "I still hate you," she said, unwilling to look into his eyes as she said it.

A wry grin spread on Sirius's face at Freya's words. "I know," Sirius muttered before kissing her again, pouring his heart into her through the simple action. He only kissed her for a few short moments, but when he pulled away, she was gulping for air as emotions crushed her chest. Her lungs felt like they were collapsing in her chest under the weight of her heart. Freya couldn't bring herself to say anything; she turned, opened the door, and ran back to her room, throwing her bedroom door closed behind her. She leaned against the door, sobbing, and sank to the floor. She brought her knees up to her chest, her whole body shaking as she curled in on herself, trying to shut off the pain that had suddenly rushed through her veins like venom. Not moving from the spot where she'd collapsed, she cried until sleep finally claimed her again.

* * *

Reviews are extremely welcome!


	15. Chapter 15

**May 1980**

Freya woke much earlier the next morning than she cared for when James opened her bedroom door and the door hit her head hard. She moaned in pain as she sat up slowly, a hand rubbing at the developing knot on her head. James frowned, asking worriedly, "Freya? What are you doing on the floor?"

Freya stood and moved away from the door so that James could enter the room. "Annabelle cried during the night, and, well, I guess I did too," Freya grumbled. "What do you want, Jamie?"

"Why were you crying?" Freya snorted, raising an eyebrow at him. James shook his head. "Nevermind, stupid question. Umm, Dumbledore and Moody are both downstairs wanting to see you."

Freya's eyes widened. "Oh," she mumbled, fear paralyzing her vocal chords.

James threw an arm around Freya and easily maneuvered her into the hall, down the stairs, and into the living room, saying, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. You're not in trouble."

Freya nodded as they came to face the professor and the auror. Moody nodded as Dumbledore said, "Good morning, Ms. Black." Freya's breath caught in her throat. Ms. Black, not Mrs. Black. Another reminder that Regulus was dead; it would certainly take some getting used to. "Welcome home. I hope we haven't disrupted your family reunion; we tried to wait as long as possible to have this conversation to give you and your family time to adjust to your new situation. Which reminds me, I do hear congratulations are in order." Dumbledore produced a small pale pink dress patterned with gently fluttering snitches from his robes, offering it to Freya. "I adapted a Muggle knitting pattern to hopefully suit your needs. I do love knitting patterns, but I rarely get the occasion to use one."

Freya accepted the dress, more than a bit confused. "Umm, thank you," Freya said quietly.

Moody said gruffly, "According to James here, you participated in more than one battle as an auror while pregnant." Freya nodded slowly. "You got lucky. Don't do it again." Freya nodded again, waiting for him to say whatever else she knew must be on his mind. "James also says that husband of yours, Regulus Black, was a Death Eater, and he held you hostage in an attempt to keep the child safe during pregnancy, intended to be rid of you after the child was born as he had discovered your true loyalties to the Order of the Phoenix, and planned to raise the child to be a Death Eater?"

Freya hesitated, then lied, "Yes, that's what happened."

Moody evaluated her a minute, then nodded. "Crouch has approved your return to duty following your maternity leave and a psychological evaluation. Your maternity leave ends in six months. Understand?"

Freya smiled slightly. "Yes, sir. Crystal clear."

Moody huffed. "Good, now tell us about this horcrux you stole."

Freya's smile froze on her face, and she glanced at James, eyes widening. James shrugged. Dumbledore reassured, "No reason to fear, Ms. Black. James told me, per your request, and I informed Alastor as a member of the Order. The Ministry remains entirely unaware of the existence of the horcrux, and according to my sources, Voldemort has not yet realized it is missing. So, where is the horcrux?"

Freya shifted her weight nervously as she calculated her response. Choosing to be honest for once, Freya replied, "It's gone. Disappeared along with Regulus's body the night he died."

"And what item did Voldemort place his soul into?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"A locket that had once belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"And how did you come to be in possession of the locket?" Dumbledore pressed.

Freya narrowed her eyes at the Hogwarts headmaster suspiciously. "Regulus stole it," she said slowly. "We tried to destroy it, but the thing is untouchable, even if we could find it. Nothing can even tarnish it. Not that it matters since it's now missing."

"You're saying that your Death Eater husband turned on his master?" Moody asked suspiciously.

Freya huffed impatiently. "Yes, Regulus changed his mind long ago, and stealing that horcrux was his only way out," she snapped. "He didn't want a damn thing to do with those people anymore, and we ran away to stay safe from them. I don't know why he fought back with Sirius the way he did. I don't know why he was acting like he'd never left the Death Eaters. I don't know why he chose to fight to the death instead of letting his brother help him, but he did. Now the horcrux he risked his life for has gone missing, and that's what bloody matters right now. The Order has to find it."

"The Order will do everything they can to recover the missing locket," Dumbledore said calmly. "Perhaps if we knew what the locket looked like…"

Waving her wand, Freya summoned a piece of paper. She pointed her wand at the page, and an image appeared on the paper of the Slytherin locket. She handed it over to Dumbledore when it was complete. "Here. That's what it looks like." The sound of Annabelle crying floated down the stairs, and Freya sighed with relief. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I don't have any more information to share and a baby who needs me. You two have a good day."

Without waiting for a response, Freya turned on her heels and bolted from the room, rushing up the stairs to Annabelle's room. Sirius was also walking up to the nursery's door when Freya reached it. "Morning, love," Sirius said, leaning over her and planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Freya jerked away from him, heart in her throat. "Please, don't," Freya mumbled, opening the door and crossing the room to the crib. She bent down and picked up Annabelle as Sirius followed her into the room. Sighing, she snapped, "Get out; I've got to feed her."

Sirius placed his hands on her hips, making her jump, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I've seen them before, remember?"

Freya shook her head. "Shut up," she murmured. "This is different. You know this is different."

Sirius sighed. "Ok," he said softly. "Maybe we'll get to that place one day." Freya shivered at his breath on her neck, rolling her head around her shoulders to stretch her neck muscles as Sirius took a couple steps back. "Speaking of which, I've got something I want to talk to you about when you're done." Freya nodded, and Sirius walked away, leaving Freya alone with Annabelle.

* * *

Standing in the back doorway, Freya tried not to laugh as Sirius, in the form of a large black dog, chased James's cat through the backyard. She couldn't help herself anymore, though, when the large orange cat turned on Sirius and scratched his snout, making him yelp and run away whimpering. He walked up to Freya, puppy dog eyes in full effect, as she doubled over laughing. Sirius whined as she teased, "Oh, you poor baby. That's what you get for torturing him like that."

Sirius transformed back into a man, his hand covering his nose. "Bloody hell, that hurt," Sirius moaned as he tried to stem the flow of blood from the wound.

Freya rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'll heal it up for you." Sirius nodded and followed her to the bathroom under the stairs, where she found rubbing alcohol, then into the kitchen where he sat down at the kitchen table. Freya grabbed a dishcloth from a drawer, pulled a chair in front of Sirius, and sat down across from him. "It's going to sting," Freya said casually as she poured rubbing alcohol onto the cloth.

Freya gently rubbed at the scratches, making Sirius hiss. "Bloody hell, Freya, you couldn't have just found some Essence of Dittany and closed it up?" Sirius whined.

Freya smirked. "This cleans those nasty germs out first. Then you can have all the Essence of Dittany you want."

"Where the hell did you learn that?" Sirius snapped.

Freya chuckled. "From Regulus," she said as she pressed a little harder with the alcohol-soaked rag, attempting to provoke him.

Sirius frowned at her smirk, then poked back, "When was that, after he beat you or after he raped you?" Suddenly paralyzed, memories of pain and hate and anger and blood flooded Freya's mind. She shook her head, dropping the rag on the table and grabbing fistfuls of her hair in her hands. Sirius lifted a hand to touch her, saying, "Freya, I —"

"Shut up," Freya snarled, letting go of her hair and standing too quickly, knocking her chair over with a loud crash. "Just shut up, Black. I hate you."

She tried to storm out of the room past him, but Sirius caught her hand as she passed him, forcing her to stop. Freya scowled at him as he said softly, "I love you, Freya."

"Why?" Freya snapped. "I've never done anything but cause you grief and heartache, so why the hell would you love me? Why would you love me when you know how much I hate you?"

Sirius flinched at her words, but he didn't let her go. "Before he came along, we were close," Sirius said, forcing a calm tone. "You trusted me just as much if not more than James, remember? Remember how it felt when we were together?" He gently pulled Freya closer, and she didn't resist. He let go of her hand and gripped her hips with both hands, guiding her onto his lap. She straddled him easily, the feel of him underneath her warm and familiar. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Remember the way it felt when I made you scream my name?"

Freya trembled in his arms, her arms draped casually around his neck, her eyes refusing to meet his. "I'm not the same anymore," she mumbled. "You know the last time you really knew me was, what, three years ago?"

Sirius pushed her hair from her face, smiling softly at her. "You've changed, but not as much as you think," he said. "We can make this work."

"He's not even been dead a week," Freya said bitterly. "Don't you think you're trying to move in on your brother's wife awfully fast after you killed him?"

Other than slightly tightening his grip on her hips, Freya couldn't detect a reaction in Sirius. After a moment, he said, "Actually, it's more the other way around. I was hoping that you and Annabelle would move in with me."

Every muscle in Freya's body tensed. "W-what?"

Sirius repeated, "I want you and Annabelle to move into my flat with me."

Freya blinked, still unsure if she was hearing him correctly. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Sirius shook his head. "You don't listen well, do you?" he teased. "Because I love you and Annabelle. You're not going to want to stay here much longer, not with Lily pregnant. I know James loves having you here, but they're going to want that space back when their little fellow comes along. You'll need some help with little Annabelle, and you'll be safer than anywhere else if you come live with me."

"Regulus would be furious; he'd hate it," Freya said thoughtfully.

"Regulus is dead, though," Sirius reminded her as he started massaging the back of her neck with his fingertips. She couldn't help the slight moan that escaped her throat as her head lolled back, leaning into his touch. "Freya, I love you. I want to make sure that you never want for anything, and I mean anything. That includes a home."

"I've got money and a job," Freya said. "I could easily provide things like a house for myself and Annabelle."

"True," Sirius admitted, leaning forward and nipping lightly at Freya's exposed neck, sending shivers down her spine and making her squeak in surprise. "But somehow I still think there are things I could give you if we lived together that your money couldn't provide you." Freya hesitated to respond, so Sirius pulled her in and kissed her lips roughly, pouring an intense passion into her until she felt like she was drowning in it. Clutching at his neck, desperate for affection, she pressed herself against him, bringing them as close together as they could possibly get. His hands tangled in her auburn hair and gently tugged it, eliciting another, louder moan from Freya. Sirius smirked against her lips at the sound. He used his hold on her hair to prevent her from kissing him, and she whimpered at the loss of contact. "That's more like it," Sirius whispered, quite proud of himself. "That's the Freya I remember." He traced a finger lightly down her neck, trailing it down her breastbone, feeling her chest heave beneath his touch. "I love you, Freya."

"Oh, Merlin, Sirius!" Freya nearly jumped out of her skin as guilt crashed over her at the sound of James's voice. "I know you already told me you two had been a thing at school, but do you really have to be a thing in my kitchen?" James snickered.

"James —" Freya started, but James waved her off.

"Good for you two and all that," James continued, entirely ignoring the horrified look on his sister's face. "I'll happily babysit Annabelle while you two get it on, just don't get it on in my house, please. I don't want to have to hear it or see it."

Freya gaped at James in shock as she felt Sirius laughing beneath her. "Relax, Prongs," Sirius chuckled. "I'm just asking her to move in with me."

Lily's voice called from the living room, "Isn't that just a bit soon?"

Embarrassment made Freya's cheeks flush hot pink as she stared at James, but her brother just shrugged. After a moment, Freya closed her eyes, and, taking a deep breath to steady herself, said, "I'm not sleeping with Sirius, but ok, fine, I'll move in with him." Sirius grinned at her as she climbed off his lap and stood up, leaving the room to go gather her and Annabelle's things.

* * *

"There's the last of it," Remus said as he sat down a bag of Annabelle's things in her new room in Sirius's flat. "Amazing how much stuff little girls manage to accumulate when they're not even a week old," he said with a chuckle.

Freya smiled, leaning against the doorframe as she watched the werewolf move around the room, unpacking Annabelle's clothes. "Yes, the minute my mum found out I was in labor, she ran out the door to go shopping. I didn't even see her that first day for all the time she spent shopping," Freya snickered. "She was not happy that she missed my pregnancy and even more unhappy that James and I'd let her and dad believe I was dead, but she understood. She always understands."

Remus sighed. "Yeah, your mum's pretty great like that. She always sees the best in people, even when they can't see it in themselves."

A thought occurred to Freya. "Remus, I… I'm sorry. I never meant to…"

Remus over his shoulder at her, half of a sad smile on his lips. "I know. It's ok. You did what you had to. You did what Regulus made you do."

Freya bit her lip, nodding. "Yeah," she said softly as Sirius walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

Sirius rested his chin on the top of Freya's head, grinning like a madman. "Hey, Mooooooony."

Remus rolled his eyes before looking back at his friend. "What do you want now, Padfoot?"

"Would you maybe stick around and watch Annabelle for an hour or two? I'd like to take Freya out for a little while on the bike."

Remus frowned. "Are you sure you want me to watch her? The full moon's just a few days away; I don't know if I should…"

Freya interrupted, "Remus, I trust you. You'd never hurt her."

Remus snorted. "I'm not worried I'd hurt her," Remus said. "I'm worried I'll black out or fall asleep too deeply, and she'll need me, and I won't be able to…"

Sirius teased, "Remus, if you can manage to earn five Outstanding N.E.W.T.s during a full moon week, you can handle watching a baby."

Remus sighed. "Well, I guess if you're sure… But I'm calling Peter and having him come over here too, just in case."

"Sure, no problem," Freya said with a small smile.

* * *

Freya clung to Sirius's hips for dear life as the motorbike raced faster than any broomstick she'd ever been on down the streets of Muggle London. Hot wind whipped at her face, making her hair flap around everywhere. Her face stung, but she didn't care. She'd never felt so reckless, so careless, so… free. Giggling with glee, she screamed, "Woohoo!"

Sirius laughed, and Freya could feel it making his muscles in his back and hips vibrating. "Having fun?" he asked.

"Loads!" Freya said as Sirius leaned the bike around a turn, making Freya squeal as she tried to keep her balance. She asked, "Where are we going?"

Sirius flew between two cars as he answered, "You never got the chance to really be young and do anything wild and crazy. I don't want you to look back later and feel like you missed out on anything, so I'm taking you to this Muggle bar I know where they play music too loud and let you get too drunk, and then we're going to head home and crash and get up in the morning and be responsible again."

As Sirius pulled suddenly into a parking space, Freya gripped his hips more tightly as anxiety began to creep into her mind. Sirius started to get off the motorbike, stopping when Freya's hold didn't change. He looked over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head. "I don't know if we should," she said nervously. "Annabelle…"

"Will be fine," Sirius finished for her. "She's got two responsible babysitters. Moony and Wormtail will take good care of her. We're just gonna go in, have a few drinks, dance a little. Cut loose, Foxy. Have some fun."

Freya hesitated, then nodded. The two got off his bike, and Sirius led her into the bar. The place was crowded, and music thudded through giant speakers scattered throughout the room. Sirius spoke to the bartender, then passed a glass of something strong to Freya. Throwing it back, the alcohol burned her throat, and for a moment she thought she would choke on the burn. She coughed, and Sirius patted her back with a laugh. He led her out onto the dance floor, weaving through the crowd. Pulling her flush against him, they danced and drank and danced some more, until everything was hazy. Sirius spun her around on the dancefloor, making her laugh harder than she could remember laughing in a long time. Spinning around and around, she suddenly spotted a familiar face on the other side of the room. She gasped, stumbling as she abruptly came to a stop. Freya sprinted away, pushing through the crowded room as Sirius called after her. Another glimpse through the crowd, and the familiar face was heading out the front door. She ran after him out into the street, looking around frantically, but the face was gone. Sirius finally caught up to her and grabbed hold of her arm. "What the hell, Freya?" Sirius exclaimed. "Please, don't just run off like that; it's dangerous. What are you doing?"

Eyes wild, Freya searched every face on the street, searching for him. "I-I saw…"

"Freya?" Sirius asked worriedly, making her turn around. He had to force her head to still as he repeated, "Freya, what are you doing?"

"I saw him," Freya said, slurring slightly. "I saw him in the club; I saw him leaving. I ran after him, but…"

Sirius frowned. "Saw who?"

Freya's eyes landed on Sirius's gray ones, but it was like she couldn't focus on him, like she wasn't really seeing him in front of her, and maybe she wasn't. "Regulus. Regulus was in the bar, and he left and now… I can't find him. I tried to follow him, but he's… he's disappeared again and…"

"Freya, love," Sirius said gently, holding her face in his hands and soothingly pushing her hair back from her face repeatedly. "Regulus is dead. He can't have been here tonight. He's dead."

Freya shook her head as best she could with her movement restricted by Sirius's hands. "No, I saw him," she insisted, growing hysterical. "I swear, I bloody saw him. I'm not crazy, Sirius. I saw my husband here."

Sighing, Sirius said, "Love, I know you're not crazy, but you're drunk and still grieving. Maybe it's possible you just imagined it…"

"No!" Freya shouted, yanking hard at Sirius's arms and forcing him to let go of her. "I'm not imagining things! He was here; I saw him!"

"Freya, he's dead!" Sirius yelled back. "He's dead; you hear me?" Tears stung Freya's eyes, and she shook her head, whimpering softly. "Regulus is dead, and he'll never come back for you. It's just you and Annabelle now. He's gone from your life forever, and he's never coming back. And good bloody riddance; all he ever did was hurt you. He's dead, and I'm here. I'm right bloody here in front of you, and I don't regret that I'm here and he's not. He never deserved you; he never properly loved you, not like I do."

Freya reached to slap him, and Sirius caught her wrist easily in a tight grip. Even inebriated, he had better reflexes than she did. He pulled her closer to him but merely stared at her. This time, Freya initiated the kiss, leaning forward, chest to chest, kissing him roughly, biting his lower lip hard as her free hand tangled in his black hair. She intentionally lost herself in the kiss, and she felt a shiver run through Sirius as he gripped her hip and pulled her close so that he was hard against her. Her whole body felt like she'd been shocked with electricity as Sirius kissed and nipped his way down her throat, making her moan. It was different than the way Regulus made her feel, as different as fire and ice. Sirius's touch stung like ice on her skin.

Then they were suddenly back in what was now their flat, stumbling through the dark living room toward the bedroom, trying not to wake Remus where he slept on the couch. Freya couldn't remember exactly how they'd gotten home, but she didn't care as Sirius slammed her against the hallway wall and kissed the daylights out of her. She was unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders when the nursery door behind Sirius opened, and Peter stood behind them, completely flummoxed as he realized what was happening. Freya heard Peter squeak out something akin to, "Sorry, nevermind," before he hid back in Annabelle's room. Sirius snickered at his friend as he pulled Freya's shirt over her head.

Freya pushed him off her, taking his hand and pulling Sirius into the bedroom, which was the total opposite of everything Regulus's bedroom had been. Where Regulus's room had been blacks and grays and greens, Sirius's room was whites and browns and reds. It was a bit like being back in Gryffindor tower, and Freya would love that later, but in that moment the only thing she cared about was getting Sirius out of his trousers. As she undid his zipper, Sirius's hand covered hers, stopping her movements. She looked up at him, confused. He mumbled, "Are you sure about this? Do you really want this? Do you… do you really want me?"

Slightly taken aback by the vulnerability in Sirius's voice, Freya thought for a moment, panting for breath, then nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I want you, Sirius. I want this." Sirius grinned, then leaned in and kissed her again and allowed her to resume removing his pants.


	16. Chapter 16

**June 1980**

The next morning, Freya's mouth felt like cotton from the alcohol the previous night, and her muscles were sore in the most delightful of ways. She grinned as she snuggled down under the soft, warm blankets, hearing the sound of a shower turning off. A few minutes later, she was almost asleep again when she felt lips softly pressed against her forehead. "Morning, love," Sirius whispered in her ear.

Freya groaned. "No morning, just sleep," she whined as Sirius opened the curtains, letting sunlight flood the room.

Sirius chuckled. "You need to get used to getting up early again," he said. "Only six months till you go back to work. Besides, I'm pretty sure Annabelle will be hungry by now, and only you can take care of that."

Sighing, Freya slowly sat up in bed, shivering when the blankets fell away from her bare chest. Sirius whistled at her, so she picked up his pillow and chucked it at him. It hit him with a soft thud, making him roll his eyes as he picked a shirt from his closet and pulled it over his head. Out of habit, Freya looked down at her skin, inspecting it for bruises and potentially open wounds that could potentially be healed with magic, finding nothing. Disbelieving, Freya mused, "Incredible. Not a single mark."

Sirius frowned, pausing as he pulled on his dragon hide boots. "What are you…" He trailed off as realization hit him. Turning to Freya from where he sat at the foot of the bed, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "Freya, I'm not him," he reminded her gently. "I promised you I'll never hurt you, and I'm going to keep that promise. Sex shouldn't be something you walk away from injured or in pain. That was never something that happened with me, remember?"

Freya took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah, I remember," she mumbled. "You were always rather… gentle."

Grinning wryly, Sirius teased, "Yeah, but you've gotten a lot rougher since we were last together."

He lifted his shirt and pulled the waist of his pants and boxers down, exposing a deep purple bruise spreading across his hip. Freya gasped, reaching and ghosting her fingers over the injury. "How did I do that?" Freya asked. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Sirius laughed her off. "I think we hit my hip against a wall too hard or something. I honestly can't remember how it happened, but it doesn't matter. It's fine; it's just a bruise. It'll heal, and it was incredibly worth it to get to be with you again." Freya blushed as Sirius grinned in triumph. He leaned in and brushed a quick kiss on her lips. "I have to go to work. Remus will come back later today in case you want some company or want to go out or whatever. Please, don't go anywhere by yourself, ok? I want you to be safe." Freya nodded, and Sirius left the room. She heard the fireplace light up from the Floo powder, and then he was gone.

Getting out of bed and dressed, Freya fed Annabelle before changing her diaper and laying her back down to take a nap. Freya walked into the living room, grabbed up a handful of Floo powder, and threw it into the fireplace, calling, "Narcissa Malfoy."

After a few moments, her cousin-in-law appeared in the fireplace. Narcissa, who looked ready to go into labor at any moment, huffed as she stepped out of the fireplace. "What do you want, Freya?"

Freya raised an eyebrow at Narcissa's appearance, having been unaware that Narcissa was pregnant until then. "I see congratulations are in order," Freya said casually.

"I heard the same of you," Narcissa sneered. "And I hear that you got Regulus killed."

Freya took a deep breath to steady herself before she replied. "I'm not so sure about that." Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "Have you heard from him?"

"How could I have heard from him?" Narcissa laughed coldly. "My blood traitor cousin killed him."

Freya hesitated. "If Regulus was alive, what do you think the Dark Lord would do?"

Narcissa frowned. "You going back to your family, I can understand," she said slowly. "It's foolish; you should've come to the Manor, and Lucius and I could have…" She paused, took a breath, then continued, "But that's irrelevant now. I can't imagine why Regulus would run away from the Dark Lord, but I do know that if he found out that Regulus was alive, he'd come after you and your daughter to try to find him, and he'd kill all three of you. Why?"

Freya shook her head. "I could swear I saw him last night," Freya said softly. "But I was drinking, so I could've easily imagined it."

Narcissa's eyes grew wide. "Why would you tell me this?" she snapped, startling Freya. "If it's true, if he's alive, then Regulus doesn't want anyone to know, including you. If the Dark Lord learns that Regulus has abandoned him…"

"How would he learn that, Narcissa?" Freya said angrily. "Would you betray your cousin to the Dark Lord?"

"I will do whatever it takes to protect my family," Narcissa hissed. "My son and my husband come first, above all others, including the Dark Lord."

"Same goes," Freya said heatedly. "If my husband is out there, who else can I turn to in order to keep him safe if not his favorite cousin?"

Narcissa scoffed. "Well, you're clearly on more than good terms with his brother, perhaps you should have asked for his help instead. I can offer you nothing."

Freya said, "Sirius doesn't believe it's possible. Who can blame him? Sirius is sure he killed his brother; how could he be alive after that?"

"What makes you think that he is? Like you said, you could've imagined it," Narcissa replied, circling slowly around Freya, setting the younger girl on edge.

Standing her ground, Freya replied, "Sirius said something the other day that I might have brushed off as nothing, but combined with seeing Regulus last night… It can't be a coincidence."

"And what might that be?" At that moment, Annabelle started crying in her nursery. Freya sighed, walking off to get her baby with Narcissa close on her heels. She picked Annabelle up from her crib, then froze at what she saw in the crib. Narcissa rolled her eyes at Freya's shocked expression. "What?"

Freya shook her head. "That was not there when I put her down. She doesn't own a lion." The stuffed lion in the crib had a black mane, and it shook both girls to the core. "How —"

Narcissa said slowly, "He must have been here while we were in there. Why would he…"

"He's dropping me hints," Freya mumbled. "He has to be."

"What did Sirius say that made you suspicious?" Narcissa asked.

"I went back to where Regulus's body should have been," Freya said. "Regulus was gone, but Sirius was the only one who could've done anything with the body. Thing is, he doesn't remember what happened after he killed Regulus. He said it's fuzzy, that he can feel the memories there but can't quite reach them. The whole night between killing Regulus and telling me that he did is blank. I suspect Memory Charms."

Furrowing her brow, Narcissa said, "Are you saying that you think Regulus used Memory Charms on Sirius in order to fake his own death and run away? Why?"

Freya shook her head. "I don't know why, but doesn't that make the most sense?"

Narcissa shrugged. "A lion could just as easily represent Gryffindor. How do we know one of your Gryffindor friends didn't leave it, and you just didn't notice until now?"

Freya sighed. "I guess we don't, but the mane…"

"Is suspicious, sure," Narcissa said coldly. "But it could just as easily be someone alive and well messing with your head." Freya nodded, and Narcissa sighed. "I want to believe it, too," she said, softening a bit. "But we have to accept his death and move on. Even if it's not true, that's what he wants. Be with Sirius; as much as I can't stand him, he cares about you. Let him help you move on." Nodding again, Freya heard Narcissa start to leave. "Oh, and by the way." Freya glanced over her shoulder at the blonde woman. "Aunt Walburga is out for blood — your blood. She's furious you're keeping your daughter from her and not living with her. She's coming after you. She might not move quickly, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security. If I can get here, so can she. Protect your daughter."

"Thank you," Freya said softly. Narcissa nodded, then walked away, leaving the flat the same way she came.

* * *

 _Pain radiated through her skull as Regulus slammed Freya against the wall of the flat's hallway, making her hit her head. He cut off her cry of pain by capturing her lips with his. When he pulled back, she slapped him as hard as she could, his head snapping to the side. He stared at her, shocked. "How dare you?" Freya hissed. "Faking your death? Again? Don't you think that tactic might getting just the least bit worn out by now?"_

 _Rolling his eyes, Regulus sneered, "It's working better this time than last time. At least, it would be if you'd shut the hell up about seeing me. Narcissa, really?"_

" _I thought you were in danger. Who would you prefer I tell?" Freya snapped._

" _No one!" Regulus shouted. "You don't tell anyone I'm alive, Freya. You stick with the bloody story."_

" _Well, maybe if you'd bothered to tell me you were going to leave me, fake your death by using Memory Charms on your brother, and then constantly haunt me like a bloody ghost, maybe I would be able to do that!" Freya yelled back, pushing against Regulus's muscular chest and making him stumble back a step._

" _It's not as though I had the chance to!" Regulus huffed. "You bloody ran off and disappeared! Then you turned up in St. Mungos and my brother turns up in my safe house? I did what I had to. I did what was needed to protect you and Annabelle."_

" _No!" Freya raged. "No, you didn't. You could have, but you didn't. You did what you need to protect yourself!"_

 _Regulus punched the wall, leaving a dent. "Damn it, why don't you understand what's going on here, Freya? Are you Gryffindors really that bloody thick? I had to go to keep the horcrux hidden from Voldemort."_

" _So you did take it," Freya accused._

" _Yes, of course, I took it," Regulus laughed coldly. "I finally figured out that the bloody awful thing was making us both crazy, me more so than you. That's why our relationship was such a bloody mess in Ireland. I destroy this thing, and we can go back to what we were before we got married and other people started affecting our relationship." Regulus paused, reaching up and cupping Freya's cheek gently in his hand. "Me and you against the world, remember, Vixen?" he said softly, then leaned down and kissed her lips hard._

 _Freya melted against him as Regulus gripped her hips hard enough to leave bruises. Her whole body was on fire, heat coursing through her veins like poison, leaving a haze in her brain. She was a drug addict, and he was her drug. He trailed kisses down her neck, pushing her shirt off her shoulder as he worked his way down, and Freya tangled her fingers in his neatly combed black hair, pulling him closer as she remembered that there was a reason she never left him, no matter how cruel he could be. She could never possibly live without him. "I love you, Regulus," she whispered in his ear before lightly nipping his earlobe._

 _She felt Regulus smirk against her collarbone. "I love you too, Freya," he replied as he pulled away from her. "That's why I had to leave you with him."_

 _Freya frowned. "You knew that Sirius would…"_

" _Of course, I knew," Regulus said, chuckling. "I know my brother better than anyone else. He's always been in love with you. I knew that if I were dead, even if he was the one to kill me, he'd take you and Annabelle into his home. He'll love you and protect you in ways I can't right now, but you need it. So I'll let him have you… for now."_

 _Freya shook her head. "Wait, so you want me to…"_

" _I don't care what you do with him anymore," Regulus said, frowning. "I don't like it, but do whatever you feel like you need to do, including sleep with him. It's not like you haven't already, anyway." Freya opened her mouth to say something, but he waved her off. "If I'd wanted to stop it, I'd have let you know for sure I was alive," he sighed. "As far as you knew, I was dead. I don't blame you for it."_

" _Why are you here, Regulus?" Freya snapped. "Why are you doing this? To make me feel guilty for living with him, for sleeping with him, for not sticking with your family, what?"_

 _Regulus snorted. "Thank Merlin you didn't stay with my family. I don't want my mother anywhere near Annabelle."_

 _Freya quipped, "Can I get that in writing in case your mother decides to try to come after me legally?"_

 _Regulus laughed. "It's in my will, which is in my bedroom back at our cottage in Ireland, actually," he said softly as he smoothed Freya's auburn hair. "I'm here to tell you that Voldemort's not done. The locket isn't his only horcrux." Freya froze, fear filling her eyes. "I don't know what they all are yet, or where they are, but it's why I faked my death. I have to stay underground, unharassed, until I've managed to find them all. The worst part is that he's still creating more, so there's no telling how many more there'll be, but I'm going to find out. I'll track them all down and destroy them. Then we can defeat him, and I can come home, and we can be together again. Annabelle, you, and I can be a family again. And when that happens, I promise that we'll settle down near your family, and we can all be friends again, and you'll finally get the life with me you've always wanted, ok?" Freya nodded, still biting her lip nervously at the idea of multiple horcruxes hidden away, keeping Voldemort alive. "Remember this always, Freya. I love you; I'll always love you. And I'll do what I can to keep you and Annabelle safe." Suddenly, Regulus whipped out his wand, pointing it at Freya. "Remember that I love you. Obliviate."_

* * *

Freya jolted awake at the feeling of hands on her shoulders. Eyes wide, she nearly screamed until Remus's face came into focus. She relaxed as she recognized him. "Are you ok?" Remus repeated, though it was the first time Freya had understood what he said.

Freya frowned. "Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be ok?"

Face serious, Remus replied, "Freya, your head is bleeding. See?" Reaching around to the back of her head, he gingerly touched her, and she winced as pain throbbed through her head. Pulling his hand back into her view, she saw that his fingers were soaked in blood. "What happened to you?"

Freya shook her head, trying to remember, but all she got was fuzzy images of Regulus in Sirius's flat, startling her, yelling at her, kissing her, and then… nothing. "I don't know," Freya said softly. "Would you please…?"

She gestured to her head, and Remus hesitated. "You want me to heal it? I don't know, Freya."

"I've seen you heal yourself enough times after a full moon. I'm pretty sure you can do it," Freya teased.

Remus sighed, then moved to sit behind her so that he could work on her scalp. "It's not as easy with all this hair in the way, you know," he whined.

"Says the man with a very furry little problem," Freya shot back with a laugh. "Just hurry. I don't want Sirius to see it and think something's wrong."

"But something _is_ wrong, Freya," Remus said. "You're all beat up, and you can't remember why."

"Obviously I hit my head on something and somehow forgot," Freya said, doing her best to be nonchalant. "Please, don't make a big deal out of it."

Remus snorted. "I don't believe that at all, but ok," he sniped. After another moment of thought, his hands stilled on her head, only halfway done healing her. "Where's Annabelle?"

Terror gripped Freya's heart, tightening her lungs until she thought she couldn't breathe. She bolted up from her seat and took two steps before getting lightheaded and woozy from blood loss. Remus caught her before she fell, moved her back to the couch, forcing her to lay down, then rushed down the hall to the nursery. A moment later, Freya heard Annabelle's cries of annoyance at being disturbed, and Remus reappeared, holding Annabelle tightly to his shoulder. Freya breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Merlin."

"Sirius is going to go ballistic when he finds out someone hurt you," Remus said, gently rocking Annabelle in an attempt to soothe her tears. "And I can't blame him. Just be honest with him about what happened."

Freya sighed, "Moony, I'm _being_ honest. I can't remember what happened. I think I dreamed that it was Regulus, but obviously, that couldn't be true, so I don't have a clue what happened." Remus watched her suspiciously for a minute, before nodding in acceptance.


	17. Chapter 17

**December 1980**

As Freya healed the wounds from Snape's Sectumsempra Curse that scattered Sirius's chest hurriedly, Sirius whined, "My blasted mother must've told my cousins that I killed my brother. They seem to be taking extra pleasure in cursing the shit out of me these days."

Freya chuckled, "Well, can you honestly blame them? They did love him. You can't tell me that if someone killed James, you wouldn't come after them with a vengeance."

"I'd take care of you, Annabelle, and Harry first," Sirius said, wincing from the pain in his chest.

"Oh, would you now?" Freya sneered. "Is that what you were doing when you killed your brother? Looking out for us?"

Sirius bit his lip, hands tightening into fists where they rested on the kitchen table and his leg. He took a deep breath as Freya began to drop Essence of Dittany on his halfway-healed bare chest, then said softly, "I thought we were past this."

Freya glared at Sirius as he hissed from the sting of the Dittany on the deepest gash. "It's only been a few months," Freya said coldly. "You can't really have expected me to have just forgotten about it."

"Well, as enthusiastic as you are in my bed, I had rather thought so," Sirius taunted. Freya growled, raising a blood-soaked hand to slap him, only for him to easily catch her wrist in a vice-like grip. Sirius smirked at her. "You don't seriously expect me to keep letting you do that."

Huffing, Freya replied, "I suppose not, but one can hope."

"Well, don't hold your breath," Sirius said, leaning forward as he pulled Freya closer until their faces were inches apart. "I understand being angry with me, but you can't keep hitting me. I didn't let my mother and father get away with it, and I certainly won't let you."

"You have before," Freya said as a flood of adrenaline filled her veins. She bit her lip as the rush hit her head, her own personal high.

"And I won't again," Sirius replied easily. "I'd suggest you stop trying it before Annabelle's old enough to form memories. We wouldn't want her getting the idea that hitting people is proper behavior, now, would we?"

A grin pulled at one corner of Freya's mouth. "No, of course not."

Sirius watched Freya's face carefully. "You like to push me," he observed. "You do it all the time. You try to press all sorts of little buttons with me like you're trying to get me to react a certain way."

"Maybe I am," Freya teased, brushing her lips over his before pulling back.

Sirius's gray eyes clouded with lust, but he didn't move or release Freya's wrist. "I'm never going to react how you want me to," he said slowly. "I'm not him, Freya. I made you a promise, and damn it, I'm going to keep it. You can't push me into treating you like he did."

"Who says that's what I'm trying to do?" Freya asked, batting her eyelashes at him as she smirked.

"No one had to say it," Sirius said. "It's rather obvious, isn't it?"

"How so?"

Sirius sighed. "You think I haven't noticed that every time we go to bed together, somehow I manage to walk away with bruises and scratches I didn't have before?" He paused, but when Freya's expression didn't change, he continued, "Freya, you push at me all the time, but you push hardest when we're having sex. I don't know why exactly you feel like you have to do this, but please, stop."

Freya thought for a moment, then slowly raised her left hand and ran her fingers through Sirius's long black hair. He relaxed into her touch, closing his eyes as he relished the gentleness of it. She said softly, "I still see him, Sirius. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's true. I still see him damn near every day. I see him most in you every time we go to bed together, and I can't stop it."

Sirius frowned. "So, what, are you telling me that, in your mind, you're not having sex with me, you're having sex with my brother? You're so rough on me because that's how you were with Regulus?"

Freya lowered her eyes, shaking her head. "It's not fair to you, I know," she mumbled. "I'm sorry, but I can't seem to control it. I dream about him constantly, and it feels so real. Bruises and cuts appear, and I can't remember how I got them. You definitely didn't put them there; like you said, you promised you never would. I go out shopping, and I think I see him for split seconds in every shop, but he's never really there."

Sirius took the Essence of Dittany off the table, deciding suddenly to finish healing the last of his wounds before he spoke. "You get high on it," he declared. "I can see it in your eyes every time you push my buttons. Every time you elicit a reaction from me, it gets you off, doesn't it?"

Freya's hands were shaking from the adrenaline pumping through her body. She couldn't deny his words; the truth of them was too obvious. "I'm sorry," she said, although she didn't sound particularly sincere. "It's not that I want to hurt you. I just… Oh, Merlin, I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know how I got like this, but he was always so... " She paused, taking a shaky breath. "He was so strong, so forceful, and you're the opposite. You're gentle and kind. I don't… I don't know how to deal with you."

"So you're trying to make me act like him?" Sirius asked sadly.

"I suppose I am," Freya said.

Sirius slammed a fist on the kitchen table, then stood up, forcing Freya to fall from her kneeling position onto the floor. He paced back and forth in the kitchen a few times, then he turned to her. He grabbed hold of her arm, tight enough to be uncomfortable but not enough to truly hurt her, yanked her off the floor, and pushed her hard and fast against the wall. Freya couldn't help the mad little giggle that escaped her as he growled deeply, "So, is this what you wanted from me, Freya? Hmm?" He pinned her effectively with his hips. "You want me to be rough with you?"

Freya grinned. "I want you to make me feel so good, it hurts," she whispered, breathing in his ear.

Freya felt Sirius shiver as she dragged her nails hard down his chest, making his chest bleed lightly again. He grabbed her wrists and slammed her hands against the wall to stop her. She felt him laugh, but she could see in his face that there was no humor in it. "No," Sirius snarled. "Enough. That's enough. I will _not_ hurt you, Freya. Do you understand me? I won't hurt you, and you can _not_ keep hurting me. Maybe Regulus enjoyed these little ministrations of yours, but I don't. I am not my brother, Freya, and while I might know that you're just using me as a cheap substitute for him, I don't need you flaunting it in my face every chance you get." Freya's heart was pounding in her ears, making processing Sirius's words a bit difficult, so he shook her and said again, "Do you understand, Freya? I am not Regulus! Regulus is dead. You hear me? Dead."

Freya shook her head. "I know, I know," she said bitterly. "The fact that you're still alive reminds me of that every day."

Sirius huffed. "We've been going back and forth like this for six months, love," he said tenderly, letting go of one her wrists to brush her auburn hair back from her face. "Please, I'm begging you. Stop this, please. I don't want this to be what our life together is like."

"It is what it is," Freya purred, ghosting her fingers over Sirius's cheek.

"And what it is, is shit," Sirius snapped, brushing her hand away. "I love you, Freya. When we started this, you said you didn't want to hurt me."

"And I don't," Freya replied.

"Right, you just want me to hurt you," Sirius sneered. "And I won't do it, so you've been pushing my buttons every way you know how to try to make it happen."

"And it never works," Freya snapped back.

"Believe me, darling, you don't want to know how many times you've come _this_ close to my breaking point, including now," Sirius said with disdain. "But I'm done. I'm not putting up with this behavior out of you anymore. Now, you start back to work tomorrow. Maybe spending more time with more people in a normal setting like the Auror Office will help." Freya bit her lip, reaching up to touch him again just as Annabelle began to cry in the nursery. Sirius sighed, letting go of Freya and pushing away from the wall. "Go to bed," Sirius mumbled. "I've got her." The tension in the room suddenly dissipated, and Freya's energy drained, leaving her with nothing left. She leaned against the wall for another minute as Sirius left the room, taking slow, deep breaths. Finally, she did go to bed, struggling to slow her mind down until, suddenly, she was asleep.

* * *

 _Christmas came quickly, but the boys were all away on missions for the Order of the Phoenix. Lily was planning to bring Harry over to the flat for dinner that night, but for the majority of the day, it would just be Freya and Annabelle. Naturally, it could only have been a surprise when Freya was playing peekaboo with Annabelle on the nursery floor and heard the distinctive 'pop' of an apparation. Immediately, she drew her wand and stood, leaving Annabelle on the floor giggling, and stepped carefully toward the open door. She glanced out to one side of the hall toward her and Sirius's bedroom without sticking her head out of the door, standard auror behavior, but no one was there. She held her wand at the ready, took a deep breath, then threw herself to the other side of the door to look out the other way. A familiar voice called, "Locomotor Mortis!"_

 _The spell struck Freya's arm, and her legs froze in place. She caught her balance on the wall, throwing a spell back blindly. "Expulso!"_

 _The spell was blocked by a Shield Charm, exploding against it violently and knocking her attacker over. Before the smoke from the explosion cleared, a figure suddenly slammed against Freya, knocking her back against the wall. Annabelle started crying, and as her vision cleared, Freya found herself chest against chest with Regulus. Freya gasped as Regulus smirked at her. "Merry Christmas, Vixen," he chuckled._

 _Freya pointed her wand at herself, muttering a counter-curse under her breath and unfreezing her legs. She shoved Regulus out of the way angrily, rushing over to Annabelle and scooping her up, before turning on Regulus. "What the bloody hell?" she snapped viciously. "Ignoring the fact that you're somehow alive and have been hiding from me the last six months, why couldn't you have just bloody knocked on the damn door? Was scaring the hell out of me, attacking me when I could have been holding our daughter, attacking me at all actually, really necessary?"_

 _Regulus just kept grinning. "Oh please," he laughed. "You loved it. Every second of it. Got your adrenaline up, right? I seem to recall that you just can't live without your little natural high these days. Thought you might enjoy a little…"_

" _Oh, shut up," Freya hissed, rocking Annabelle and shushing her as much as could to try to make her stop crying. "Look at this, Regulus. Look at your daughter. You didn't just scare me a little; you scared your daughter. You attacked her mummy, Regulus, and now she's terrified of you."_

" _Oh, come on, now," Regulus huffed. "Annabelle knows me; she loves me."_

 _Regulus stepped forward to try to take Annabelle from Freya's arms; Freya didn't resist until Annabelle's crying turned to screaming and crying, and one of Annabelle's tiny fists tangled in Freya's long auburn hair and clung to it. "She doesn't know you're her father," Freya snapped, stepping back to keep Annabelle out of Regulus's reach. "She's never seen you before."_

" _She has, too," Regulus said angrily. "She's seen me at least once a month. Just because I took away your memories of it doesn't mean I haven't been her father."_

 _Freya gasped. "You've been doing what?"_

" _Memory Charms are powerful things," Regulus said. "I've slipped in to see you and Annabelle quite a few times now. We go through this every damn time, and every time you get more upset. Probably because the charm is becoming so repetitive with you that it's starting to have more effects on your mind, and I'm sorry about that."_

" _Then stop coming here," Freya said heatedly, struggling not to shout at him for Annabelle's sake, who was still crying but had calmed a bit. "Stop sneaking in here, stop coming to see us, please. Didn't you say that you wanted me to move on? I keep trying here, but you slipping in and out of my life can't possibly help that."_

" _Ah, so some of your memories are starting to slip through the charms," Regulus said thoughtfully, slowly moving closer to his girls. "Are you saying you don't want anything to do with me anymore? That you'd rather be with Sirius?"_

 _Freya let out an annoyed groan. "I'm saying stop forcing me to play games. You're either alive, or you're not. Stop torturing me with these little glances in shops and short little visits."_

 _Regulus reached up and touched her face, unusually gently. "You're happy with him," he said, and his tone left no room for doubt._

 _Freya sighed, her eyes stinging as tears built. "Regulus, I'm a nineteen-year-old widow with a baby. He's… he's easy, honey. I love you more than anything in the world. Your only real competition is Annabelle, but with you dead… Merlin, he's so fucking easy to be with. He's nothing like you, though. He's good and kind and easy, but there's always something… missing. That spark that you light in me, the way you make me feel like I've got fire in my veins; it's not there."_

" _Yeah, he makes you feel like ice, shivering and cold and frozen in a moment in time," Regulus said softly. "You might have explained this to me before."_

 _Freya rested her face against his hand, closing her eyes, unable to look at him as a tear strayed down her cheek. Annabelle was still whimpering, her hazel eyes wide and round with massive tears. Freya mumbled, "Please, stop doing this to me. You're tearing me apart, Regulus. Even with you regularly obliviating me, I can't stop thinking about you. I can't get rid of the nagging feeling that everything I know is a lie, that you're alive."_

" _I'm sorry," Regulus said quietly before planting a kiss on her forehead. "I want to; believe me, I want to leave you two alone and let you get on with your lives. I just can't though. I know I'm being selfish as hell, but I can't stand to see you with someone else, especially not him."_

 _Freya frowned, opening her eyes to glare at him. "That's not my fault," she said angrily. "You put me in this position, knowing how things would play out, and are refusing to change things. I mean it, Regulus. I love you, but I'm begging you. If you're not going to come back and actually be with me and Annabelle, then please, stop coming around."_

" _And what about our little secret romps?" Regulus said, running his hands up and down her curves suggestively. "You love the way I throw you around, the way I rough you up and…"_

" _Enough," Freya snapped. "So you're why I wake up with bruises and sore muscles and cuts I can't remember getting." She shocked Regulus by slapping him across the face, wiping away his smirk. "Sirius is insecure enough without you sleeping with me behind his back, pretending to be dead, and making me look and feel like I'm going completely mad. Stop this, please," Freya begged._

" _I just wanted to see my girls for Christmas," Regulus said, hurt clear in his eyes, but Freya remained firm on the subject._

" _I mean it. All this is doing is torturing everyone involved. I'm terrified that soon James and Sirius are going to have to permanently separate me and Annabelle for her own safety because I'm losing my mind from these Memory Charms." Regulus ran a hand through his hair nervously. "You want to see us for Christmas? Come back from the bloody dead," Freya snapped. "I don't understand why you're doing this to me."_

" _I can't come back for good until all the horcruxes have been found; you know that," Regulus reminded as he tried to tousle Annabelle's black hair, only to recoil in horror when it only made her cry more._

 _Freya sighed. "Actually, I didn't know that. Or maybe I did, and you just made me forget."_

" _Oh, yeah," Regulus groaned._

" _How many have you found?" Freya asked._

 _Regulus sighed heavily. "Just one besides the locket, but I can't get to it. Maybe you could…"_

" _You're seriously about to try to send me off on a horcrux hunt from the dead?" Freya asked, raising an eyebrow at him._

" _It's in Malfoy Manor," Regulus snapped. "I can't get in there to steal it myself. Too many of my old Death Eater pals around there. Maybe if you asked Narcissa to give it to you…"_

" _Are you kidding me? She'd never do that. Maybe if you told me what it was and where to look for it, I could get the Auror Office to raid the place if I can provide good enough reason, but that's a lot of ifs…"_

 _Regulus put his hands on Freya's hips, pulling her flush against him, Annabelle caught between them, still clinging to Freya's hair. "Ok, I'll work that out for you," Regulus muttered. "Please, Freya, I love you. You know I love you."_

" _Of course, I know that," Freya said, her voice softening. She reached up and tenderly touched Regulus's face, ghosting her fingers across his skin. She could almost see the sparks she felt under her fingertips igniting against his cheek. "I love you too, but you're killing me. Our daughter doesn't even know you. Do you realize how much that hurts me? As far as she's concerned, Sirius is her dad, the only dad she's ever known."_

" _And_ that _kills me," Regulus said sorrowfully. "You have no idea how much I want to be here with you two."_

" _Then be here," Freya snapped._

" _I'm here right now," Regulus murmured, leaning in and brushing his lips against Freya's. "I'm here, Freya. I'm here." He dug his fingers into her hips as their lips crashed together, melting Freya's mind in a fiery haze. She pulled away, setting Annabelle down in her crib, before turning back to Regulus and jumping him. She nipped at his lower lip, only to be pushed away again. He smirked triumphantly, taking her hand and leading her to Sirius's bedroom. He shoved her hard toward the bed, and she fell, missing the bed and hitting the floor instead. Freya looked up at him, and as much as she wanted to hate the way he acted toward her, she couldn't help the thrill that went through her as he walked over to her, grabbed her by her hair and pulled her off the floor. Their lips met again, and Freya moaned into his mouth, grabbing hold of his hair, so much shorter than Sirius's, and pulled herself as close to Regulus as possible. He chuckled, then knocked her away forcefully so that she fell onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, then slapped her across the face, hard enough to sting but not enough to bruise. He whispered, "I love you, Freya. I hate seeing you with my brother, knowing what you two do here in this bed."_

 _Freya panted for breath, frustrated with herself for how much she loved his cruelty. "If you'd let me remember that you're alive, then I wouldn't be doing anything with Sirius," she argued._

 _Regulus hit her again, making Freya gasp in pain. "Which is why I can't let you," he laughed. "You'd blow my cover in a heartbeat. We only managed to keep our dating life secret for six months, and the whole time we were drowning in suspicion. Now, we've kept this secret for six months, and no one even considers the idea I could be alive. I think we're doing considerably better this time around."_

" _I need you here, Regulus," Freya begged as the mood of the room changed. She pushed her fingers through his hair as she continued, "Annabelle needs her daddy, and I need my husband."_

 _Regulus flinched at the pain in her voice. "You have Sirius; you don't need me. I'm not good for you, Freya. I have never been good for you."_

" _I don't care," Freya insisted. "I've never cared; you know that. Sirius isn't you. I need you."_

 _Regulus smiled sadly down at her. "I think we both know that you've never needed me," he mumbled, brushing her hair gently away from her face. "You're strong and brave, independent. You've never needed anyone. I'm the one that needs you, darling. I've always needed you desperately. I needed you to carry me through my Death Eater days; I needed you to make me into a man. Now, I need you to be here so that I can be dead long enough to stop Voldemort and save you. I need you to stay here so I can be the man you've always believed I could be. I know I should stay away, but I'm not strong enough to live without you."_

" _Regulus —"_

" _Freya, please," he interrupted._

 _Freya shook her head. "I can't stand living without you anymore, Regulus," she said softly. "I mean it. I'm trying so hard for Annabelle, but the longer I think you're dead, the worse it gets for me. Maybe it's the Memory Charms screwing up my brain; I don't know. But it's been bad, Regulus. So bad. It's…" she trailed off as tears tightened her throat._

 _Regulus frowned. "What are you trying to tell me?"_

 _Freya gulped, shaking her head. "I can't stop thinking about you, Regulus. I can't… I can't stop wanting to be with you… And you're dead, and I can't stop seeing you everywhere I look, and…" She sniffed, struggling not to cry. "Regulus, all I can think about is being dead with you. Just to be with you again…"_

 _Regulus let out a shaky breath, climbing off Freya and pacing the floor. Freya sat up and watched him, her whole body trembling. When Regulus finally stopped and spoke to her again, there were tears in his voice. "You mean you're suicidal?" Freya didn't respond, and Regulus punched the wall in a moment of self-hatred. "I never meant to make you feel so…" he trailed off, words escaping him. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Freya. Please, don't…"_

" _I haven't done anything," Freya mumbled. "And I don't think I will, but if you keep coming around, watching me, locking away my memories, I don't know if I can promise it."_

" _Annabelle," Regulus gasped. "You can't; she needs you."_

" _I know she needs me," she snapped._

" _Talk to Sirius about this," Regulus pleaded. "Please, please, talk to Sirius. Tell him how you've been feeling."_

" _Leave my head alone," Freya said softly. "Please, I think it's just making things worse for me. I won't tell anyone. Please."_

 _Regulus shook his head. "Darling, I can't," he groaned. "I promise you, though. I won't be back. This is the last time, I swear."_

" _Regulus —"_

"Obliviate."

* * *

"Freya?" Freya groaned, her head pounding worse than any hangover she'd ever had, and she could hear Annabelle's crying from across the hall. Lily's voice called out again nervously, "Freya? Are you here?"

Freya sat up slowly as Lily entered the bedroom, but the blood rush to her head made her dizzy and she fell back onto the bed. "Lily," Freya groaned. "Annabelle…"

"She's ok," Lily reassured. "I checked on her first. She's upset, but she's ok. Harry's in there with her. Are you ok?"

Freya shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. She opened her eyes again, and she noticed a potion sitting on the nightstand with a note attached to it. _For your headache — Sirius,_ the note said, but the handwriting looked more like Regulus's than Sirius's, which she found odd. She drank the deep green potion anyway, and instantly a cold sensation like a cool washcloth spread across her forehead, taking away the migraine. "I don't know what happened. The last thing I remember, it was this morning, and…"

" _Talk to Sirius about this. Please, please, talk to Sirius. Tell him how you've been feeling."_

Lily sat down on the bed beside her, frowning. "Freya?"

"When are the boys coming home?" Freya asked, not meeting Lily's gaze.

Lily sighed. "I don't know. Could be the next few hours, could be the next few days."

Freya nodded. "Lily, I, umm… I think something's going on inside my head. Something that's just out of my reach, and I don't know how to get to it."

Furrowing her brow, Lily asked, "What do you mean?"

Shaking her head, Freya said, "Nevermind. I'm sure it's nothing. Let's get the kids and do Christmas, yeah?"

* * *

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 **WildestDreams72394**


	18. Chapter 18

**February 1981**

New Year's Day came and went with no sign of the boys coming home. Another month passed slowly, with Freya was still stuck on desk duty at work, so she regularly dropped off and picked up Annabelle from Lily's house on her way every day except today. Today, she stayed home with Annabelle. Freya spent the day in bed, paralyzed by a strange mix of emotion and numbness, a fear that crushed her chest and an emptiness that made her not care if her fears did come for her. Her heart raced, pounding like a drum in her chest and ears until it was the only thing she could hear. She was overwhelmingly cold, but her skin was drenched in sweat as though she were outside in the height of summer heat. Her diaphragm and stomach muscles clenched almost painfully, making every breath a conscious effort to stay alive. Wand raised in her trembling hand, she curiously observed the fresh set of scars on her left forearm, frowning at the results of her attempts at Snape's favorite curse. The scars could have easily been avoided, but she couldn't bring herself to move from the bed to retrieve the Essence of Dittany from the bathroom to prevent the scarring, so she was stuck with the evidence permanently. Deciding to take a less visible approach, she pointed her wand at herself and muttered, "Crucio."

The curse lit her nerve endings on fire, making Freya gasp, a far more potent pain than her previous spell of choice. It faded quickly, much faster than the times that Regulus had used it on her in the past. Panting for air, tears pricked at her eyes. After steadying herself for a second attempt, she cast the Unforgivable Curse again, the spell hitting her with even greater force the second time. She whimpered at the intense pain, trying her best not to lose her grip on her wand. Suddenly, a voice, _his_ voice, broke through to the front of her mind. _"I can't come back for good until all of the horcruxes have been found… Just one besides the locket, but I can't get to it… It's in Malfoy Manor..."_

Another, deeper voice pierced through the fog the pain had created in Freya's mind, much louder, like a radio suddenly clearing of static, making Regulus's words fade from her mind. "Freya!" Her eyes snapped open, and the pain dissipated as Sirius ripped her wand from her hand. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Sirius demanded as Freya gasped for air.

Freya tried too hard to breathe and set off a painful fit of coughs. Sirius forced her to sit up and started searching her for injuries as she stuttered, "S-S-Sirius, I-I-I'm sorry; I just —"

"You just what?" Sirius interrupted as he discovered the bright pink scars on her arm. "You just thought that since you couldn't provoke me into hurting you, you'd just cut out the middleman and do it yourself?"

Freya shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Do you have any idea how long Annabelle's been crying?" The baby girl's cries finally made it past Freya's ears to her brain and processed. "She was screaming bloody murder when I got home, so were you intentionally ignoring her or did you just temporarily go deaf? She was crying, and you weren't answering me. I thought the worst had happened, Freya! I thought the Death Eaters had gotten in and had killed you, or worse!"

"I'm sorry," Freya mumbled, flinching from the harsh timber of his voice. "I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to what?" Sirius growled. "You know I had to stop Moody from bringing four or five aurors here looking for you. You didn't go to work today, so he assumed that you were being held hostage or murdered by Death Eaters. He wanted to get up a whole damn posse to come after you, to rescue you! It's a good thing I talked him down; I don't even know how we could have even begun to explain this."

"Sirius, please, I'm sorry," Freya whimpered. Somehow, despite the obvious differences in behavior, Sirius's temper balanced by concern was somehow more difficult to take than Regulus's pure fury.

"What the hell are you doing to yourself, Freya?" Sirius asked, his voice finally dropping to a lower volume as heartache leaked into his tone.

Sirius gently traced her scars with his finger as Freya said, voice tight from unshed tears, "A mix of things. Sirius, I'm really struggling here. You've been nothing but good to me; I know that, and I'm grateful. But…" She paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "But losing Regulus has been incredibly hard. It's more than that, though. I'm not… I'm not just hurting myself for the hell of it. I… You're going to think I'm crazy."

Sirius shook his head. "No, I know better than that," he said softly, pulling her into his arms and holding her tenderly to his chest.

Freya clung to his shirt front, taking a few more deep breaths to try to prevent the tears from spilling over so that she could still speak coherently. "I know you keep telling me that Regulus is dead, but I swear, I still see him, alive and well. Every now and then, I get little, tiny flashes of memories of him here in this flat, or in the shops, talking to me."

Sirius sighed. "Love, we've been over this. That's impossible."

"It's not, though," Freya insisted. "Not if he's alive and using Memory Charms to prevent us from remembering that."

"Why would you think that?" Sirius asked, frowning down at her.

Freya huffed, "I suspect he doesn't believe we would or could keep it secret."

"But why would he be faking his death in the first place?" Sirius asked suspiciously. "And what does that have to do with using the Cruciatus Curse on yourself?"

Freya rushed, struggling not to get tongue-tied. "I did some research on the Forgetfulness Charm I think he's been using on me. Apparently, sometimes if the spell isn't particularly well executed, extreme levels of pain can be used to break the charm."

"And you were trying to break a Memory Charm that may or may not have been placed on you?" Freya nodded. Sirius snorted. "Well, I have to give you credit for guts, kid, but what if he didn't do anything to you, and he really is dead?"

"But he's not," Freya repeated, pushing away from Sirius as frustration took over her. "It was working. It wasn't much, but I remembered something. He was here, on Christmas I think. He said that he couldn't come back to us until he'd found all of the horcruxes."

Sirius paled. "All of the horcruxes?" he repeated. "As in, that locket you stole, it wasn't Voldemort's only horcrux?"

Freya nodded, jumping to her feet and pacing back and forth, a manic glint in her eyes. "Yes, precisely!" Freya exclaimed.

Sirius shook his head, dragging a hand tiredly down his face. "My brother is a bloody idiot," Sirius groaned. "Why the hell is he trying to do this all by himself? Why not join the Order and get others to help him?"

Freya rolled her eyes. "I'd imagine that he'd have issues trusting the Order since he's a former Death Eater," Freya mocked. "But that doesn't matter right now. I remembered where he said the next one he found is, but he can't get to it. No wonder, either. That place is insanely secure and full of Death Eaters. I don't know if even the Department of Magical Law Enforcement can get in."

"Where is that?" Sirius asked, looking a good ten years older than he really was as his gray eyes stared up at Freya from his seat on the bed.

"Malfoy Manor," Freya answered, suddenly remembering that Annabelle was crying and rushing from the bedroom to the nursery, retrieving the baby from the crib and clutching her to her chest. Annabelle instantly began to calm, though she still seemed hungry, so as Sirius walked slowly to catch up with her, Freya carried Annabelle to the kitchen and got the Cheerios from the cabinet. Sirius set up the high chair for Freya, so all the young mother had to do was plop Annabelle in and dump some Cheerios on the tray in front of her.

As Sirius dropped into a seat at the kitchen table, Freya finally began to notice rather obvious details. His clothes were dirty and ragged; a sleeve was ripped and barely hanging on, the knees of his trousers were torn, and both the fabric and his skin were covered in dark mud. His dragon hide boots had survived unscathed but were more mud-caked than any of the rest of him. He looked absolutely exhausted, so Freya grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey from the fridge and poured him a shot, which he took gratefully. He threw it back as though it were water, then asked as he set the glass down, "Malfoy Manor? You're sure?"

Freya sighed, sitting down next to Annabelle. She reached over and brushed her fingers gently over her daughter's fine, ink black hair as Annabelle munched happily, albeit clumsily, on her cereal. "Yeah, that's what he said," Freya replied, smiling as she watched Annabelle.

"What is it?"

"Hmm?"

Freya glanced over at Sirius, confused. "The horcrux, love," Sirius said patiently. "What is it?"

Freya shrugged. "I've got no bloody idea; he didn't say. Or at least, if he said, I haven't remembered it yet. I don't think he said, though."

Sirius nodded. "Ok, great. What does he expect us to do about it? Get a warrant for the manor by some miracle and raid the place and just take everything? Sort through it back at the office until we figure out which piece of dark magic they're hiding is a horcrux?"

Freya laughed, feeling lighter than she had in months. She finally had confirmation that her mind wasn't slowly unraveling, and Sirius even believed her. "Somehow, I'd imagine he'd expect something a bit more subtle."

Sirius rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but laugh with her. "It's impossible," Sirius declared, making them both laugh harder. "Regulus is a bloody idiot; it's bloody impossible."

Annabelle giggled, smacking her tray with her tiny hands, sending Cheerios flying. Freya shook her head as Sirius waved his wand, making the cereal vanish from the floor. Freya smiled at the pair, then shook her head. "It's no wonder I've been going so insane, falling into depression," she said softly. "Repeated Memory Charms can cause serious damage."

Sirius frowned. "Yet another reason my brother is a bloody idiot," he said coldly.

Freya sighed. "Well, it's no matter now. If he comes back, I'll just have to make sure he doesn't obliviate me again."

"If he comes back." Sirius chewed on the words thoughtfully. "Hey, Freya. Clearly, he's planning on coming back to you and Annabelle for good eventually. What happens then?" Freya tilted her head, scrunching up her face in concentration. "What happens to us if Regulus decides to show up for you two and says he's staying this time?"

Freya sighed. "I don't know, Sirius," she said quietly. "I love us, and I love the home we've made here for Annabelle, but he's her father. And I do still love him."

Sighing heavily, Sirius ran a hand through his hair as he said, "Yeah, that's about what I figured you'd say."

"Well, what did you really expect me to say, Sirius?" Freya said, old frustrations rising to the surface. "I'm still married to him, and he's Annabelle's father. I... I love you, but I don't think I can just walk away from him when he decides it's time to come back."

Sirius looked stunned. After a moment, he said quietly, "That's the first time you've ever said you loved me."

Face heating, Freya looked away, forcing herself to watch Annabelle play with her food. "I suppose it is," she mumbled.

"I liked hearing it," Sirius said, reaching across the table and taking Freya's hand. Freya smiled a little at that, and Sirius continued, "If he comes back, I don't want to lose you to him again. Not after all this. Not after the life we've built here together. I mean, for crying out loud, I've been the only father Annabelle's known her entire life."

 _"She doesn't know you're her father," Freya snapped, stepping back to keep Annabelle out of Regulus's reach. "She's never seen you before."_

 _"She has, too," Regulus said angrily._

Freya pushed the sudden memory out of her head. "Believe me, I'm keenly aware of that fact," she mumbled as she stroked Annabelle's hair again with her free hand.

Sirius squeezed Freya's hand as he asked, "What do you want to do?"

Freya shook her head. "I don't know, Sirius. Please, just drop it. I have to think about it."

Sirius nodded sadly. "Yeah, sure, Freya," he muttered. After a moment of awkward silence, he stood and said, "I'm exhausted. Last couple weeks away have been hell. I'm going to go take a shower and go to bed."

Freya watched him turn away in the direction of the bedroom, then called softly, "Sirius, wait." He glanced back at her over his shoulder, arching an eyebrow, and she swallowed nervously. "I love you," she whispered nervously, her stomach fluttering in such a way that she wasn't sure if it was due to excitement or anxiety or both.

Sirius smiled, then walked around the kitchen table and high chair and kissed Freya's forehead. "I love you too," he whispered back. He turned and planted another kiss on Annabelle's head, making the tiny girl giggle. "Both of you," he added, then he headed off to take a shower.

* * *

Sirius shook Freya awake the next morning while it was still dark outside. She groaned, then muttered, "What could you possibly want that would warrant waking me up at four in the morning, Padfoot?"

Sirius snorted. "Good morning to you too, love." Freya giggled, rolling over to face Sirius and propping herself up with one arm. He was sitting up in bed, already fully dressed. "I sent Dumbledore an owl last night telling him we had key information, but I didn't detail what exactly in case it was intercepted. He sent us a patronus just now, asking us to come to his office at Hogwarts immediately."

Freya sighed. "Immediately?"

Sirius stole a quick kiss from her lips, then repeated, "Immediately. Hurry up and get dressed. I'll get Annabelle's go-bag; we'd better bring her with us. Moony is already out on another mission, and Wormtail's mother is sick again apparently, so they can't babysit. Peter's worried his mum might be running out of treatment options."

Freya frowned as she sat up the rest of the way, holding onto her bent knees for balance. "That's awful," she said sadly. "I wish we could help."

Sirius smiled at her. "Well, we can help Moony at least, by getting your arse out of bed and hurrying over to Dumbledore's office to tell him what Regulus told you." Freya smiled halfheartedly and nodded, and Sirius left the room, heading down the hall. She heard Annabelle's cries of protest at being woken up and laughed as she heard Sirius say, "Oh, shush now. You sound just like your mother." She grabbed one of Sirius's old Gryffindor Quidditch jumpers from the closet (naturally, he'd been a chaser like James; they were an unbeatable team) and threw it and a pair of skinny jeans on quickly. Casting a Patronus Charm, she gave the silver fox a message and sent it out the window into the night. Then there was a loud crash in the nursery, and Freya instantly rushed to the nursery, wand at the ready. "Don't worry, don't worry," Sirius called as she appeared in the doorway. "Should've turned on the lights. I knocked over the toy basket. Everything's fine."

Freya breathed a sigh of relief. She took Annabelle from Sirius when he offered her the baby, mumbling to Annabelle, "Isn't your daddy such a klutz?" Sirius froze, staring at them as he grinned from ear to ear. Freya rolled her eyes. "What?"

Sirius shook his head. "You just told Annabelle I was her daddy," he said cheerfully. "You've never done that before."

Freya froze, the significance of her slip of the tongue settling on her. After a moment, she forced a small laugh. "Yes, well, it's like we were saying last night; it's practically true, isn't it?" As Sirius threw Annabelle's diaper bag over his shoulder, Freya bounced Annabelle on her hip nervously. "We'd better get going. Hogwarts is a long flight on that motorbike of yours." Sirius nodded, his smile fading slightly as he noticed Freya's anxiety, then followed her out the door.

* * *

"Did Black say how many horcruxes Voldemort has created?" Dumbledore asked Sirius as he paced in front of the headmaster's desk.

Freya rolled her eyes. "Regulus doesn't know how many," she repeated. "Sirius hasn't had any contact with him; I have. Sirius only knows what I've told him."

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course, my dear, of course. And you say he still has the locket horcrux he stole from Voldemort?"

"Yes."

Nodding again, Dumbledore watched Freya curiously as she held a sleeping Annabelle in her arms. "Why is he contacting you?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe because I'm his wife and he loves me?" Freya drawled, growing impatient. They'd been circling like this for an hour now, and it was getting them nowhere. "Do you have a plan to retrieve the horcrux from the Malfoys or not?"

"I can't form a plan until I know what the horcrux is, Mrs. Black," Dumbledore said quietly. "Has Regulus said what it was?"

"No," Freya said as anger ran through her veins like electricity. "I believe we already established that fact. Do you think I'm holding out on you?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Not intentionally, of course," he replied easily. "It's easy to not realize what you know when you've had Memory Charms placed on you."

At that moment, James burst into the office, running straight over to Freya's seat. "Freya!" he exclaimed. "Are you ok?"

Freya nodded as Sirius asked, "Prongs? What are you doing here? How did you know we were here?"

Freya rolled her eyes. "While you were apparently sending Dumbledore a message about what I told you about Regulus, I sent one to James. I sent my patronus to James to have him join us here." Turning her attention to James, she asked, "Where are Lily and Harry?"

"McGonagall's office," James said quickly. "She wanted to pay her a visit while she had the chance."

"Back to the matter at hand," Sirius said tiredly, turning his attention back to Dumbledore. "How do you suggest we go about breaking this spell on her? It's not as though we can just _finite_ a Memory Charm."

"No, we cannot," Dumbledore agreed.

Freya's eyes grew wide with realization. "Tell me, Dumbledore," Freya said coldly. "Are you suggesting we use torture or Legilimency to force the memories out of me, assuming the charm is weak enough that they can be accessed at all?"

Horror-stricken, James's voice cracked as he exclaimed, "What?! No, no, no. Absolutely bloody not. Freya remembers what she remembers, and that's all there is to it. We are not using any kind of dark magic to force information from my baby sister."

"Definitely not," Sirius agreed.

Dumbledore sighed. "I would never suggest such a thing," he said calmly. "But to not do so leaves us with very little information and few options."

"Well, then, we're stuck with little information and few options," James snapped. "You ready to go home, Freya?"

Freya stood, careful not to disturb Annabelle where she was nestled against her chest. "Yes, let's get out of here," Freya said angrily. She started toward the door, then she turned back to face Dumbledore. "Maybe Regulus was right not to trust you if you're so willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want."

Freya could swear there was a hint of a smirk on Dumbledore's face, but before she could confirm it, he replied, "Perhaps this situation says less about young Mr. Black's faith in me than it does about his faith in you."

James grabbed hold of Freya's elbow. "Come on; let's go," he muttered, leading Freya out of the office as Sirius followed behind, still carrying Annabelle's diaper bag.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Freya pulled James to a stop. "Wait," she said quietly. James glanced questioningly at her, and she said nervously, "I, umm, I think I should go stay with Remus for a little while."

Sirius's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline. "What?" he asked, voice tight.

Freya refused to meet his gaze, fearing the emotions she'd find there. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"But… but I thought we were finally doing well," Sirius said quietly. "You finally said you loved me; you called me Annabelle's daddy."

"You did?" James asked, surprised.

Freya nodded as Sirius begged, "Freya, please, don't do this. Don't pull away from me now."

Freya shook her head. "This isn't about pulling away, Sirius," she mumbled, still refusing to meet his eyes, even as he reached to place a hand on her shoulder and she stepped out of his reach. His hand fell from the air as she continued, "I need space. I just found out that Regulus was still alive, and I just… I can't keep living with you and letting you be Annabelle's father when he's out there somewhere, alone and missing us."

"He treats you like garbage," Sirius growled.

That was when Freya's eyes snapped to his gray ones, both people feeling hurt. "You don't get to decide how he treats me," she snarled. "You don't get to decide who I love, and you don't get to decide how he treats me. He's my husband and Annie's father…"

"No, I've been her father," Sirius snapped. "I've been there when Regulus has been running away, ignoring you and Annie and his responsibilities."

"No, you're her uncle," Freya said, raising her voice too much so that Annabelle started to stir. "And Regulus is not shirking his responsibilities. He's doing his best to protect us and fighting harder than any of us to take down Voldemort. I hardly think that qualifies as running away."

"Oh really? What would you call it then?" Sirius said angrily.

"Heroism," Freya retorted smugly.

James touched Freya's elbow lightly as he spoke. "Freya, I'll take you wherever you want to go," he said quietly. "But let's go ahead and go before either of you says something you'll regret."

Sirius growled, "Some hero he is. Beating up his wife on a regular basis; raping her to please some psychopathic dark wizard. Oh yeah, he's a real hero all right."

"Shut up, Sirius," Freya said heatedly.

"You know that's true, don't you?" Sirius pressed. "Harry's not gonna grow up saying he wants to be like 'Uncle Regulus.' He's gonna grow up with his Uncle Padfoot being his favorite person in the world, just like Annie will."

"Shut up," Freya repeated, blinking back angry tears.

"And another thing," Sirius said, a cold smirk growing on his face. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but you just might be pregnant again."

As the color drained from Freya's face, James quietly warned, "Sirius, mate, don't."

"What? Don't you think she ought to know?" Sirius grinned. "What's wrong, Freya? Do you think I don't pay attention to little things about you like that?"

Freya shook her head. "You can't possibly know that," she whispered. "You've not even been home the past several weeks, you can't possibly…"

"I'm not thick, Freya, although apparently sometimes you can be," Sirius taunted. "You weren't on your period for, what, three weeks before I left for that Order mission? I was gone six weeks; I bet that you didn't get it while I was away. And don't forget the way you've been eating up those peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, or is that not a pregnancy craving?"

Turning bright red, James rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I don't think I need to be hearing this," he said awkwardly. "Maybe I, umm, I might just go get Lily."

Freya said, "I'm coming with you, Jamie. Sirius, go to hell."

"How's your precious little Death Eater hero going to feel when he finds out his big brother got you pregnant?" Sirius goaded.

Freya straightened up, a smirk spreading on her own face. "I doubt I'll ever find out," Freya said coldly. "Since it just so happens that Regulus doesn't just sneak in to say hi when you're not home."

Sirius's face fell as his jaw dropped. "Are you saying…"

"He's been coming by to provide his husbandly services this entire time," Freya smirked. "If I really am pregnant, it's probably his."

Sirius stood dumbstruck for a moment, then brushed past her and disappeared around a corner. James asked quietly, "Freya, is that really true? You were sleeping with both of them?"

"I didn't know it," Freya said sadly. "I never would have… not on purpose. It was one of the things locked away under those Memory Charms, along with the fact that Regulus was even alive. I didn't even remember it until I said it, and now…"

James sighed. "Look, don't worry about it right now, ok?" James said quietly.

"Can you go get the diaper bag from him?" Freya pleaded. "Her lion's in it, and she loves that thing."

"Of course," James said. "Meet you in McGonagall's office?" Freya nodded, clutching Annabelle to her tightly as she watched James run after Sirius. She sighed; she honestly hadn't had any clue that there was even a chance she might be pregnant until Sirius had pointed it out. She couldn't deny the possibility, though, and as she walked slowly toward McGonagall's office, she couldn't help but wonder when, if ever, she would see Regulus again and be able to tell him.


	19. Chapter 19

**April 1981**

Within a day of their fight, Freya had moved out of Sirius's flat and into Remus's tiny house. There was only one bedroom, which Remus had helped her convert into a nursery, so they added a bed to living room for Freya, and for Remus, when he was home. Remus was rarely ever home, however; Dumbledore had him doing spy work amongst the werewolf packs, so he only got to come home once every month or two.

Between Sirius avoiding her and the other boys all busy with the Order, Freya had finally gotten together with Diana and Charlotte and apologized for how she'd treated them throughout their seventh year, and now the girls took turns babysitting Annabelle when Freya had to be at the Ministry for work. Freya was still chained to her desk in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, pushing paper until she was miserable, but she'd been promised that she could return to active duty the moment her second maternity leave was over. Freya was starting to show again, and she was suffering from morning sickness much worse with this pregnancy than she had with Annabelle. She couldn't help but be relieved the day that Moody decided to send her home early when she could hardly manage to stay at her desk. She apparated directly into her living room, panic gripping her heart as Annabelle's crying reached her ears. She drew her wand and raced to Annabelle's room, horrified when she found Bellatrix LeStrange standing in the nursery holding a screaming Annabelle and Charlotte dead at her feet. Bellatrix noticed Freya and laughed. "Your little mudblood friend here was very determined to keep me away from Annabelle. Too bad she put herself in my way; maybe she wouldn't be dead quite yet."

"Let go of my daughter," Freya growled, forcing herself to ignore Charlotte in an effort to focus on protecting Annabelle.

Bellatrix cooed, using her wand to push Annabelle's black hair off her forehead, "This sweet little pureblood angel?" Shaking wildly, Freya stood frozen. "I can't do that, cousin. You see, Aunt Walburga is extremely angry that you and your brother have somehow managed to shut down all of her attempts to legally obtain custody of this little _darling_ ," she drawled. "So she's asked me to bring Annabelle to her to be raised in her proper family home as any proper pureblood should be."

Freya said heatedly, "She belongs with me, her mother. I'll kill you for touching her."

Bellatrix cackled. "Go ahead and try," she taunted. "You can't touch me as long as I'm holding your baby, unless you don't mind missing me and hitting her." Freya glared at her, furious that she was right. Bellatrix snickered, "That's what I thought. Now, if you excuse me, I've got a little girl to finally bring home."

Bellatrix disapparated with a loud crack, taking Annabelle with her. Gasping for air, Freya dropped to her knees beside Charlotte's dead body, checking to be sure there was nothing she could do to help her. The Killing Curse had killed Charlotte in a second, though, and her skin was already starting to grow cold. Sobs racked through Freya's body as the loss of both her best friend and her daughter started to sink in. A pair of hands took hold of Freya's shoulders and shook her, and she looked up to find Regulus's panicked eyes searching her face. A beat later, his terrified voice reached her ears. "Freya? Where's Annabelle? Who took her?"

Freya threw her arms around Regulus's neck, burying her face in his shoulder as she cried, unable to speak. His familiar scent overwhelmed her, reassuring her that he was here when she needed him most. He shifted from a crouching to a sitting position and pulled her to him, holding her close and stroking her hair, shushing her gently. After a few minutes, Freya finally managed to choke out, "Bellatrix took her to your mother."

Freya felt Regulus tense at her words. After a moment, he said, his voice cold as ice, "Do whatever you have to do with your friend. I'll get Annabelle back."

Freya shuddered at the intensity of his tone. "How?" she said, sniffling as she tried to compose herself.

"Don't worry about that," Regulus said as Freya moved off his lap and he stood. "I'll take care of it. Annabelle will be back before midnight; I promise. Take care of your friend, ok?" Freya nodded, and Regulus leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "I love you," he mumbled before disapparating.

Freya sat on the floor a few more minutes, staring at Charlotte's glassy hazel eyes in disbelief. Finally, she took hold of her friend's body, apparating them both to the morgue in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The place was empty, so Freya left Charlotte on an autopsy table and apparated back home. She picked up Annabelle's favorite toy, her stuffed lion, from her crib, and clutched it to her chest, stumbling to her bed in the living room and collapsing onto the floor next to it, tears threatening to spill from her eyes again. Morning sickness gripped her again, and she spent the next several hours between the toilet and the bed. Midnight came, and fear ripped through her mind. What if Regulus wasn't able to get Annabelle back after all?

Around two in the morning, there was a knock on the front door. Freya raced to it and threw it open without even bothering to check who was on the other side. Regulus stood there, dripping wet, with a surprisingly dry bundle of green blankets in his arms covering everything but Annabelle's sleeping face. Freya choked back a cry of relief as she hugged him as tightly as she could without squishing Annabelle. "Sorry I'm late," he murmured in her ear as she embraced him. "The flight from London to here was longer than I expected."

Freya dragged him into the house, and Regulus couldn't help the small smile on his face as she took Annabelle from his arms and checked to make sure that Bellatrix's apparition hadn't harmed her. Satisfied that Annabelle was miraculously unharmed, Freya turned to Regulus and asked the obvious question. "Why the hell are you so wet?"

Regulus snickered. "I think I got a bit carried away with dramatics," he said softly.

* * *

 _Regulus stood soaking wet in the hallway just outside the room in which his mother and Bellatrix were standing over Annabelle, who hadn't stopped crying from the moment he'd entered the house. Neither woman could be bothered to stop their discussion of blood purity and the continuation of the Black family line, however, to even attempt to calm the baby girl. Regulus gritted his teeth impatiently until Bellatrix finally disapparated. He grinned, then burst into the room, making his mother jump out of her skin. "Hello, Mother," he snarled._

 _Walburga blanched as she took in Regulus's appearance. "Y-you're… H-h-how are you…"_

" _Sirius didn't kill me, Mother," Regulus growled as he stalked toward Walburga, who was cowering in a corner. "Your precious Lord Voldemort did."_

 _Walburga shook her head. "You're - you're not real…"_

 _Regulus reached forward and grabbed hold of Walburga's wand arm, and her eyes grew wide as she realized that he was, indeed, real. "I'm very much real, Mother," he hissed. "You see, Voldemort had me drowned by Inferi when he realized I loved Freya and my daughter too much to continue following his orders." He gave his wand a twitch, and the spell easily imitated the appearance of him coughing up water, making Walburga shriek in terror. She yanked her arm free and ran for the door, but Regulus slammed it shut and locked with a wave of his wand. "But Freya is a powerful witch, Mother. You took our daughter against our wishes. Surely you didn't expect to get away with it?_ Crucio _."_

 _Walburga fell to the floor, screaming and writhing in agony. Annabelle's fearful cries pierced Regulus's fury, so he decided to hurry things along. Releasing his mother from the Unforgivable Curse, Regulus continued, "My love, Freya, is extremely powerful, Mother. Much more powerful than you, to be sure. She made me into an Inferi, like the ones who drowned me at Voldemort's command, to rain hell down on you for taking away our baby girl."_

" _Impossible," Walburga gasped. "You can't be…"_

" _Oh, but I can," Regulus jeered. "You forced me to join Voldemort, and when I couldn't follow him anymore, he killed me. Sirius isn't the one responsible for my death; you are."_

" _No," Walburga protested weakly. "Regulus, my son, please, I love you."_

" _You never loved me," Regulus snapped bitterly. "You loved that my blood was pure and could continue the damn family tree, nothing more. You pushed me into the arms of the man who killed me. I died, and it was all your fault, Mother."_

" _No," Walburga moaned._

" _The way you treated me, and even more, the way you treated Sirius, was unacceptable. Now you're trying to put my daughter through the same hell?" Regulus shook his head. "The violence in this family ends here, Mother dearest." Walburga reached toward her son as he picked up his mother's wand from where it had fallen to the floor and aimed it at her. "Avada Kedavra." A brilliant flash of green light, and Walburga fell to the floor, jaundiced eyes staring blindly at Regulus. Regulus breathed a small sigh of relief, then quickly rushed over to Annabelle and scooped her from his old crib. "Kreacher."_

 _The house elf appeared, bouncing excitedly. "Master Regulus!"_

" _We haven't much time, Kreacher," Regulus said hurriedly. "We'll have a proper reunion soon. For now, I need you to clear out any signs that I and my daughter were ever here in this house today, understand?" Regulus shoved Walburga's wand into her hand as Kreacher nodded and began cleaning up the room. He rushed out of the house with Annabelle and his old Quidditch broomstick from his bedroom, then flew off into the night._

* * *

Hesitating to allow Regulus to take Annabelle back from her, Freya said quietly, "You're sure she's dead?"

Regulus nodded. "Extremely sure," he said. "Her supposed suicide will probably show up in the Daily Prophet before the end of the week."

A breathy laugh escaped her throat as she shook her head as she finally allowed Regulus to take his sleeping daughter from her arms. "Good. It's about time that woman died after the way she treated you and Sirius." Regulus simply nodded, staring hard at Freya. She raised an eyebrow at him as she sat down on the small couch on the opposite wall from the bed. "What?"

Pointing out the obvious, Regulus said, "Freya, you're pregnant."

Cheeks flaming, she looked away from him, focusing on a small crack in the baseboard of the opposite wall. "Yes." Regulus merely watched her, afraid to speak the question on both their minds and potentially shatter the spell of their reunion. Freya sighed. "He used protection; you didn't. I'm sure it's yours." Regulus visibly relaxed, letting out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. He started to drop into the seat beside Freya, but she shook her head. "You should probably put on some dry clothes first," she said softly.

Regulus nodded, giving Annabelle back to Freya. "Right," he mumbled, then he disapparated, leaving the two girls alone. He was only gone a few moments before he reappeared, dressed like any twenty-year-old year Muggle man would, in blue jeans and a band t-shirt and sneakers, and collapsed onto the couch beside Freya. He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to disturb Annabelle, and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her auburn hair. "Merlin, I've missed you," Regulus whispered.

Freya threw her legs across his lap, snuggling closer to him. "I've missed you too," she whispered back. "But you're going to have to leave again, aren't you?"

Regulus pulled back to look at her as it dawned on him. "You remembered that I was alive," he said, astounded.

Freya sighed. "I tortured myself until the Memory Charms started breaking a few months ago," she muttered. Regulus opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "If you even so much as try to use another Memory Charm on me, I will burn you," she threatened, her voice low and hoarse.

Regulus sighed. "I won't," he said quietly. "Not if it… Not knowing the way you were… I won't."

"Thank you." Regulus nodded as he leaned back against the couch, exhausted. "I don't want you to leave again." She'd not meant to sound so weak, so broken when she said that. She'd meant for her voice to be strong and demanding, but instead, it'd come out cracked and pleading.

Regulus reached out and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. She leaned into his touch, but he pulled away. "I want to stay," he murmured. "But I can't."

"Why did you come back?" Freya demanded. "Before, you said you wouldn't be back. Then the second I needed you most, you were here. How? Why?"

Regulus said slowly, "I couldn't stand not seeing you, but I couldn't interact with you, I couldn't let you see me because of what you said it was doing to you. Charlotte was watching Annabelle, and she was a fairly competent witch, so I followed you to work under a Disillusionment Charm instead of staying and watching Annabelle like I should've. I could've saved your friend if I hadn't been following you around, watching you interact with everyone like some kind of psycho stalker."

Freya shook her head. "Charlotte's death wasn't your fault, and you got Annabelle home safe. That's all that matters." She paused, then continued, "And yes, the following me around is a bit creepy, but seeing as you couldn't interact any other way, I don't suppose I can blame you, so it's ok." Regulus nodded. "The horcruxes," Freya said sadly, glancing down at her baby girl. The horcrux hunt had been going on for nearly a year now, and Freya was sick of the separation from her husband. "Any more progress?"

Sighing heavily, Regulus answered, "I've identified a couple. Found one, but I don't know what protections are on it, so I haven't dared to touch it. Left it where it was."

"Tell me where it is," Freya begged. "I can tell Dumbledore. He can destroy it; I'm sure of it. The locket too."

Biting his lip in thought, Regulus's eyes scanned the small room as he considered it. "Maybe," he said softly. "Not yet, though. Not so soon after Bellatrix broke in here. They can get to you here, Freya. I'm surprised they didn't come after you sooner. You should move; with my mother dead, it won't be long before Bellatrix assumes that you somehow forced her suicide. You and Annabelle aren't safe here anymore."

"Let us come live with you, then," Freya pleaded. "Let me be with you."

Regulus laughed, "No, absolutely not. Bring my pregnant wife and baby girl on a horcrux hunt? No bloody way. Why don't you go stay with James?"

"I can't," Freya said, shaking her head. "They've been bouncing all over Britain these days hiding from Voldemort. Some seer apparently prophesied that their son was going to defeat him, and now he's marked them for death. So, really, since he's so focused on them, there's no better time for you and me to find his horcruxes and destroy them."

Regulus shook his head. "No, definitely not," Regulus insisted. "Just because his attention is turned elsewhere doesn't mean that this task isn't incredibly deadly. There is serious dark magic protecting these horcruxes from being discovered or taken, and I can't let you anywhere near that."

"I won't let you go off by yourself and martyr yourself trying to do this alone," Freya snapped. "Talk to the Order; get someone to come with you. Please, stop trying to take him down all alone."

Groaning, Regulus complained, "Why is there not a single Gryffindor with a good, solid sense of self-preservation?" Freya simply glared at him as he watched her face for any sign of her relenting. Huffing, he exclaimed, "All right, all right, maybe. Maybe I'll let someone help me, but you are staying the hell out of it, understand?"

A smug smile spread on Freya's face, then she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear. "And you know, Remus won't be back for another week, in case you wanted to stay a little longer."

Regulus tilted his head as he thought, then grinned. "I'll stay, but only if you go ahead and move out of here first thing in the morning. We can't risk the Death Eaters showing up and discovering that I'm alive, ok?"

Freya's smile grew wider as she nodded. "Whatever you say, honey," she said happily before kissing him properly.

* * *

Freya woke up the next morning to find the bed disappointingly empty. She sighed as the familiar loneliness started to settle in until she suddenly heard it. A soft voice, his voice, singing a familiar song in the other room. _"Go to sleep, my baby; go to sleep, my dear. You've got a lot of dreaming to do, and I will take you there. Hushabye, my baby; hushabye, my dear. Drift away to dreamland, and I will find you there."_

Freya smiled as she heard Annabelle giggle, and as Regulus carried her into the makeshift bedroom, he was beaming down at her as she reached a tiny fist toward his face, which was covered in dark stubble from lack of regular shaving. He looked up at Freya, eyes filled with wonder and possibly tears, and she sat up and said softly, "I know. She's incredible."

Regulus sat down next to Freya and kissed her hard, and she tangled her fingers in his shaggy black hair. She laughed when she felt Annabelle's tiny fist hit her chest, demanding the return of her daddy's attention. They broke apart, both grinning like mad, and Freya leaned over the other side of the bed and pulled a bag of Annabelle's toys out, dumping them out on the bed. Regulus plopped Annabelle gently on the bed, and she crawled over and started playing with her stacking rings. Regulus shook his head in amazement. "Merlin, I've missed so much," he said quietly.

Freya leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You don't have to miss anything else, you know," she said quietly. "And you've got another chance to be there for number two."

Regulus grinned at that. "Yeah, I've got the perfect solution to make sure of that," he said happily.

"Oh?" Freya smiled.

"Yeah," he said as he pulled her closer. "I couldn't sleep last night, so I got up extra early this morning and slipped out to London. I bought a flat there for you."

Freya froze as Regulus stood up from the bed, waving his wand to start packing Freya's things. "You... you what?"

"I bought you a flat in London," Regulus repeated as he shut her trunk and shrunk it to a manageable size. "Well, I suppose I should really say that I bought _us_ a flat, but I won't be able to live there full time yet, so it's mostly yours right now."

Freya shook her head, hardly believing her ears. "But what about the horcrux hunt and…"

"Don't even worry about it," Regulus said with a smile. "I put the house under the Fidelius Charm myself, so the only people who will be able to get in are me, you, and Annabelle, so I'll be able to come and go as I please without anyone who shouldn't know ever finding out I'm alive." He walked back over to the bed and kissed Annabelle's head, then looked up at Freya. "Oh yeah, I'm assuming there are some people who you've told I'm alive?" Freya nodded slowly. "Don't worry, darling; I'm not mad at you for it. It's my own fault for thinking the Memory Charms were a good idea." Regulus took Freya's hand in his and continued, "Freya, I want to be with you again, at least as much as I can."

Freya smiled back at him. "I love it," she said, laying down beside Annabelle, rolling onto her back as her baby giggled. "I've missed you so much, you know."

"I've missed you too," Regulus grinned, leaning down to kiss her upside-down. Annabelle's little fist made contact with his eye, and he moaned, flinching away and accidentally biting Freya's lip too hard. Laughing, Regulus caught hold of Annabelle's wildly waving fist, which contained the smallest of her stacking rings, as his daughter giggled harder than ever. "You, little miss, have got quite the right hook."

Freya snorted in amusement as Regulus sat up straighter. Annabelle's stopped laughing and, reaching up toward Regulus's face, cooed, "Da-da."

Both adults froze, staring into each other's eyes. Regulus's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. "She knows me," he whispered, his gray eyes misty.

Freya bit her lip, trying not to smile too big. "Good," she whispered back.

* * *

 **August 1981**

While Regulus was cooking breakfast in the kitchen of Freya's new London flat, Freya, now due any day, sat on the floor with Annabelle as she toddled across the empty living room floor, practically falling into her mother's arms laughing. Regulus glanced over his shoulder at the pair, smiling, as Annabelle cooed, "Mama."

Things had been going much more smoothly for the young couple since they'd gotten their own flat. Freya quickly discovered that Regulus had quit drinking since he'd left, although he'd gotten into the habit of dressing like a Muggle as he'd hidden in the Muggle world. He'd stopped wearing the locket and refused to keep it in the flat; he'd used Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as James (how he'd gotten James's hair, she'd never know) and open another account at Gringotts in Annabelle's name and hid the locket there. Regulus was almost back to his old self, the man she'd fallen in love with that summer so long ago, except for the occasional outburst, which was now directed toward walls or furniture rather than Freya. He'd shaped up considerably once he had the chance to be around Annabelle on a regular basis. Freya lifted Annabelle into the air and nearly dropped her suddenly as pain shot through her stomach. Freya groaned as she lowered the girl with curly black hair back to the floor, and Regulus was by her side in a second taking Annabelle from her, even as she smelled eggs burning. "Darling? What's wrong?"

Freya took several deep breaths, a hand on her stomach as the pain faded. "It's time," she said quickly. "It's time."

Regulus's eyes grew wide. "Oh," he said dumbly.

Freya used Regulus's shoulder to push herself up off the floor. "We need to go to St. Mungos," she mumbled, waving her wand and summoning her go-bag.

Regulus shook his head as he stood up, Annabelle sitting on his hip. "Freya, wait," Regulus said, his voice more firm this time. "I can't go to St. Mungos with you. I'm dead, remember?" Freya stopped, frowning. "Could we… could we maybe stay here and —"

Freya shook her head. "No way," she insisted. "At St. Mungos they gave me potions so I didn't feel a thing the whole time, I do not want to know how much it hurts without that."

Regulus thought for a moment as Annabelle reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "I don't want you to be in pain, darling," he said slowly. "But I already missed Annie's birth; I don't want to miss another."

Freya bit her lip, staring Regulus down as she considered. "I don't want you to miss it either."

"What potions did they give you?" Regulus asked. "Maybe I could get hold of them, and we could…"

"I haven't a clue, and you couldn't go buy them any more than you could go to the hospital with me," Freya groaned.

"Oh, right," Regulus said quietly. "And if I were busy helping you give birth, there'd be no one to watch Annabelle." Freya nodded. Another wave of pain hit her, and she doubled over, using a chair to keep herself standing. Regulus sighed, "Ok, I can't stand to see you go through this. You go to St. Mungos, darling. I'll stay here with Annabelle, and I'll slip us in to see you there somehow, ok?" Freya nodded before disapparating with a loud pop.

* * *

Early the next morning before the sun rose, Freya sat upright in her hospital bed in St. Mungos, cuddling the little boy in blue to her chest. James, Lily, Remus, and Peter had all been by already to see the newborn, but James had informed her that Sirius wouldn't be coming. He insisted it was Order business, but Freya knew that it was really because Sirius was angry that the baby wasn't his — tests had confirmed that with absolute certainty. She was incredibly surprised when she saw Sirius walking into her room anyway until she noticed Annabelle in his arms. That was when she started laughing. "Him? Really?"

Sirius, who was actually Regulus, laughed. "Believe it or not, his hair was the easiest to get hold of for the potion," he snickered. "How are you two?"

Freya took his hand and pulled him closer as she answered, "Oh, we're just fine, sweetheart. You wanna hold him?"

Regulus nodded, setting Annabelle down on the bed and sitting down beside his daughter, taking his on from Freya's arms. "Hi," he cooed. He tugged Annabelle forward, and she happily crawled into Freya's lap where she could see better. "Annie, meet your little brother," Regulus said softly. "Sigma Elias Black."

* * *

Good news folks! My Harry Potter themed Etsy shop is opening its doors this week! It's called WingardiumStitchiosa, and I will be offering discounts to all fanfiction readers who leave reviews or message me! I love you guys and the support you offer my stories.

Lots of Love,  
WildestDreams72394

* * *

 **UPDATE:**

 **Folks, my Etsy shop is up and running! I currently have one Gryffindor scarf available for purchase, and other houses can be requested by custom order! My shop is named WingardiumStitchiosa. Anyone who messages me on fanfiction to request their scarf gets a five dollar discount on their custom listing! I love you guys! Please leave reviews!**


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